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CNMI’s high COVID-19 vaccination rate ‘exceptional’
As of last Friday, the CNMI’s vaccination rate against COVID-19 was already at 97.5%—a feat that Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. chief executive officer Esther L. Muña described as “exceptional” and makes the CNMI a “global leader” in this aspect.
During a virtual press briefing last Friday, Muña credited both the tireless efforts of the CNMI’s health workers and the cooperation of the CNMI community for the CNMI’s high vaccination rate.
Muña thanked the community for coming together and getting vaccinated to protect themselves and their loved ones from COVID-19 and the CNMI’s health workers for fulfilling their respective roles in the CNMI’s efforts against COVID-19. The COVID-19 pandemic is not over, however, and Muña asks all to continue taking all necessary precautions against COVID-19.
“I want to give our sincere appreciation to the health care and public health workers who have been working hard over the last two and a half months to contain the cases of COVID-19 in our community. They are indeed true heroes,” she said.
According to the www.vaccinatecnmi.com dashboard, as of yesterday, the CNMI is now at 97.9% vaccinated.
Muña noted that CHCC has been seeing a decrease in cases since the rise in community cases beginning in Oct. 28 last year. However, the CNMI’s total number of positive cases, hospitalizations, and deaths still remain a point of concern for her and CHCC. As such, Muña reminded the community to continue to take all necessary precautions against COVID-19.
“While we have seen a major decrease in cases since the beginning of this current wave of infections, the total number of cases and hospitalizations still remains too high. …We still need to protect ourselves and our community from COVID-19. …The continuing cases, hospitalizations, and deaths in our community is an opportunity to remind everyone that the pandemic is not over,” said Muña.
So far, Muña said the omicron variant has not been found in the CNMI. “While we have no reports of omicron in the CNMI, this variant is spreading worldwide, and we must be prepared for a new wave of cases,” she said.
