134 new cases; 669 recovered

A total of 134 new positive cases of COVID-19 were confirmed from Dec. 10 to 11, bringing the CNMI’s case total to 1,908, according to a Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. news release late Sunday.

CHCC also reported that, as of Dec. 11, there have been 669 recoveries, 945 active cases, and three COVID-19-related deaths since Oct. 28, 2021.

Of the new 134 cases, 86 were identified on Dec. 10 and 48 were identified on Dec. 11. CHCC also reported that of the 134, 61 were found through contact tracing and 73 through community-based testing. The vaccination statuses of these new cases were pending verification as of Sunday night.

For its vaccination efforts, CHCC reported that 411 COVID-19 vaccine shots were administered on Dec. 12, bringing the CNMI’s vaccination rate to 91%. Getting vaccinated and the CNMI’s high vaccination rate “affords the community more protection against severe illness, hospitalization, and death,” CHCC said.

For testing efforts, a total of 1,129 COVID-19 tests were conducted between Dec. 10 and Dec. 11 comprising travel testing and surveillance testing. In the CNMI, registering for testing can be done at https://covidtesting.chcc.health.

Since Oct. 28, 2021, there have been 1,617 new cases. Of this total, 876 were found through contact tracing, 722 through CBT, and 19 through travel testing.

In related news, CHCC chief executive officer Esther L. Muña and Dr. Richard Brostrom, representing the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, held a virtual news briefing last Friday, where Brostrom talked about the federal health care partners’ roles in the CNMI and monoclonal antibody treatment.

Brostrom said that he and a colleague who is currently in Guam were flown out at the request of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to “help with implementation” and to provide subject matter expertise where needed. Brostrom added that National Disaster Medical Assistance Team personnel are on Saipan to aid CHCC with the administering of monoclonal antibody treatment and with vaccination operations.

Brostrom said the monoclonal antibody treatment is readily available for those who qualify to receive it. He said that, along with the team of federal partners, a new shipment of 500 treatments is now on Saipan.

“This is a treatment for those that are positive [and] have some symptoms, and this medicine can help keep them out of the hospital. …If people have very mild symptoms and maybe they have diabetes, [are] overweight, or [have] high blood pressure, then they would qualify for treatment that’s given at that site,” said Brostrom.

Muña reiterated that monoclonal antibody treatment is not a replacement for getting a COVID-19 vaccine. “That is not a replacement of vaccines. This is to supplement…to fight COVID and, again, it is to prevent hospitalizations. If you already have COVID and you have symptoms, you may be a candidate for this, especially if you meet the high-risk criteria,” she said.

Brostrom also lauded the medical personnel at CHCC’s hospital and at the CHCC Alternate Care Site at Kanoa Resort Saipan for their tireless work.

“I have to say that the staff there—we’ve been working with them this week—[are] amazing, determined medical staff, [nurses], and physicians. Really heroic work [is] being done here as the surge ramps up in the CNMI,” said Brostrom.