13 community cases ID’d

A total of 13 individuals have now been confirmed positive for COVID-19 since Thursday, Oct. 28, 2021, bringing the CNMI total to 304 cases since March 28, 2020. The first three individuals were identified via routine testing and the others were identified and confirmed via contact tracing.

According to a Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. news release, the latest six cases were confirmed positive for COVID-19 on Oct. 28, 2021, and was announced today, Oct. 29, 2021.

This is on top of the four community cases identified earlier today and the three cases announced last Thursday.

The first individuals were identified and confirmed via surveillance testing, performed in collaboration with the CNMI Public School System last Oct. 28, 2021, and the other cases were identified via contact tracing.

The recently identified individuals have been quarantined and are actively monitored. The CHCC Communicable Disease Investigation/Inspection team has already initiated contact tracing for the most immediate contacts of the newly confirmed cases, and this effort will continue until all probable cases are identified and tested.

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Call the COVID-19 Infoline at (670) 488-0211 if you have general questions regarding COVID-19. DO NOT call (670) 233-2067 unless you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. Do not inundate this line, as it is the Tele-Triage hotline that is reserved for patients who need critical services.

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The COVID-19 Task Force, CHCC, and PSS are cooperating to ensure the health and safety of students and staff remain the top priority within the schools and community. PSS, since the beginning of the pandemic, has implemented and continue to implement precautions against COVID-19, and has measures in place to respond to a positive case.

The immediate response, use of state-of-the-art tools, and techniques by the CHCC contact tracing and laboratory team allowed for rapid containment and protection for our community.

The Governor’s COVID-19 Task Force and CHCC would like to remind residents of the CNMI to continue practicing the 3 W’s: wear a mask, wash your hands, and watch your distance. All individuals are encouraged to take advantage of community-based and school-based testing to ensure the safety of all residents.

The Governor’s COVID-19 Task Force and the CHCC will host a community-based testing event at Kanoa Resort today, Oct. 29, from 12pm to 3pm.

More importantly, while the CNMI has 83.5% of its residents fully vaccinated, that equates to approximately 10,000 residents who are unvaccinated—residents who are urged to get protected against COVID-19, a virus with high transmissibility.

Based on what we know about vaccines for other diseases and early data from clinical trials, getting a COVID-19 vaccine helps keep you and your loved ones from getting seriously ill even if you do get COVID-19. More residents are signing up to get their third shot, and the CHCC is equipped to treat patients who become seriously ill from COVID-19.

“We have the tools in place to contain this as we have successfully done through the work of our task force, CHCC, and the partnership with PSS and the Board of Education,” said Gov. Ralph DLG Torres. “We encourage the unvaccinated to get vaccinated and for our residents to take advantage of our community-based testing at Kanoa Resort [this] afternoon. We will work to provide care for the individuals who have tested positive, and we must continue to look out for one another as one community.”

“Our data show that, although folks get COVID-19, the measures and treatment we have in place puts us in a good spot to fight the virus,” said CHCC chief executive officer Esther L. Muña. “Yes, our community is resilient, but our community looks out for each other. To the unvaccinated residents of the CNMI, we need your help in protecting our children and those who are not able to receive the vaccine.”

Consider registering for vaccinations at www.vaccinatecnmi.com, by calling the CHCC call center at 682-SHOT (7468), or registering in person. To register for school-based or community-based testing, visit https://covidtesting.chcc.health/.

The CNMI is reminded to watch out for misinformation and to follow updates directly from the Governor’s COVID-19 Task Force and the CHCC. The spread of misinformation is just as dangerous as the virus itself.

If you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, contact the CHCC Tele-Triage hotline at (670) 233-2067. The hotline runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

PSS notice to stakeholders

Positive cases for COVID-19 have been confirmed at two of our school locations during the schools’ regularly scheduled Antigen Testing. We want to ensure P55 stakeholders that there is no concern for panic. The situation remains under control.

PSS, in collaboration with CHCC and the Governor’s COV1D-19 Task Fforce, are working to ensure that the health and safety of all students and staff remain our top priority. Impacted individuals have been informed and are being cared for. (PR/Saipan Tribune)

Editor’s Note: This story was updated on Oct. 29,2021, at 10:21pm to reflect the latest number of new positive cases based on CHCC’s press releases.