DLNR extends Pohnpei food ban

Lands and Natural Resources Secretary Joaquin A. Tenorio has extended for the seventh month since June last year the emergency order of quarantine banning the entry of food products from Pohnpei in light of a cholera epidemic in the Micronesian island.

In an official order released yesterday, Dr. Tenorio warned that the risk posed by food originating from Pohnpei is potentially greater than the risk presented by food items imported from other FSM states.

“There is currently a vibrio cholera epidemic in Pohnpei and it is important that the health of the people of the Commonwealth be protected,” the DLNR chief stated.

Under the new emergency order, DLNR has instructed Agriculture Quarantine Inspectors to thoroughly inspect airline luggage tags on food cargo, personal baggage, coolers, and all the other types of packages coming from FSM via Guam to determine the point of embarkation.

DLNR also directed authorities to restrict from entry all food and other consumable products, except cooked, processed, and pelagic fish from FSM Public Health certified suppliers originating from Pohnpei.

The emergency order remains in effect until the Cholera epidemic in the affected state is cleared and no further public health threat as attested by a decrease in the incidence rate of cholera cases to pre-epidemic levels, officials said.

Moreover, food cargo, except cooked, processed food and pelagic fish and DPH-certified suppliers from Pohnpei, including containers and contents shall be confiscated and properly disposed. The owner of the cargo shall be consulted on disposal methods, whenever possible.

Quarantine inspectors have also been alerted that all fish, shellfish, and crustaceans that originate from FSM must be shipped frozen in an ice chest or cooler at the port of embarkation before it can gain entry into the Commonwealth.

The DLNR directive shall apply for the next 30 days unless earlier modified or extended. This is the seventh time the agency has issued an emergency order of quarantine since threats of the spread of the FSM cholera epidemic broke last June 23, 2000, which was followed by five official notices of extension in July 17, Aug. 9, Sept. 21, Oct. 27, and Nov. 27.

Last Aug., Dr. Tenorio engaged in talks with the FSM and Guam governments to discuss the impact of the cholera epidemic and formulate on concrete plans of action to prevent the spread of the dreaded disease.

FSM’s quarantine division and cholera task force has since reportedly been taking extra steps to beef up inspection measures to contain the spread of bacteria remote in the state of Pohnpei.