‘Don’t let your guard down’

Despite 36% of the CNMI’s adult population already fully vaccinated against COVID-19, fully vaccinated people should still be careful and practice the 3 W’s: wash your hands, wait at a distance, and wear a mask, according to Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. chief executive officer Esther Muña.

Speaking at a radio news briefing last Friday, Muña said that fully vaccinated people shouldn’t think that, just because they are already vaccinated, they can let their guard down and not practice the 3 W’s.

“That’s the thing that’s a little scary—when people put their guards down, thinking that ‘I’m fully vaccinated, I don’t need to do this.” That’s not going to work. We need to [be careful] as much as possible. The war against this virus is not over. We still need to continue to fight,” said Muña.

She reiterated that getting vaccinated will get the herd immunity numbers up and make the CNMI safer.

What will herd immunity do for us

Muña said that herd immunity will help the CNMI reopen safely. “We have a plan. …There are things that we’re going to be monitoring as well with the [Center for Disease Control and Prevention] guidelines, and making sure that we make our decisions based on data, based on science, based on what is recommended, and that decision will then determine whether or not we are going to have quarantine or not,” said Muña.

Ultimately, Muña said, if the CNMI sees more people vaccinated, this will help CHCC, the Governor’s COVID-19 Task Force, and the administration decide whether to still require quarantine or not.

Speaking at the same media briefing, task force chair Warren Villagomez said the contract with the quarantine facilities can be terminated at any time and that they don’t have a long-term contract agreement.

Recently, the CNMI implemented a modified quarantine where CNMI residents who got vaccinated here can avail of home quarantine.

To be eligible for the modified quarantine, Villagomez said in a previous interview, is someone who is from the CNMI, got fully vaccinated in the CNMI but went off-island and then came back. Additionally, those returning residents who are coming back must register at the governor.gov.mp website 72 hours before their arrival, according to CHCC. That website contains the health declaration form that returning residents must fill up.
Villagomez said the key words for someone to avail of the modified quarantine is someone being “fully vaccinated in the CNMI.” Someone who is vaccinated elsewhere won’t be able to avail to the modified quarantine.

According to Muña, of the 36% of those who are fully vaccinated in the CNMI, some have traveled off island and availed of the modified quarantine.