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‘Surge of COVID-19 cases is NMI’s 1st wave’
Other countries have already gone through three to five different waves in the global COVID-19 pandemic but, largely because of the CNMI’s widespread and effective efforts to stem the pandemic here, it has managed to keep its numbers low and the latest surge of COVID-19 cases in the CNMI is its first wave, said Gov. Ralph DLG Torres Tuesday.
Speaking at a radio press briefing, Torres said his administration, COVID-19 Task Force chair Warren Villagomez, and Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. chief executive officer Esther L. Muna have done everything they can to protect the community here from the virus.
He pointed out that in the last year and a half, before the current surge, they were able to hold the positive cases to below 300 and two deaths.
“While others have gone through three, four, five waves, this is our first wave,” said the governor.
Torres said the community is aware of all the things that the COVID-19 Task Force and CHCC’s first responders have done to safeguard the CNMI’s people. He cited the Road to 80% vaccination outreach, among other programs, that ensured the CNMI’s high rate of vaccinations. Based on the 2020 Census, the CNMI should already be hitting at least 90% full vaccination, Torres said. As of yesterday, the CNMI’s full vaccination rate was already at 92.2%.
He said there is nothing they can do to make it 100% vaccination to safeguard the community from the virus. The governor said they will continue, however, to make sure that everybody who is eligible to be vaccinated is vaccinated.
