2 more recoveries in NMI

After a week with zero new coronavirus case in the CNMI, two more persons were added to the CNMI’s recovered patients list, raising the total number of recoveries to 15.

Although there was no official pronouncement about the new recoveries, the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp.’s website posted on Saturday, May 30, that the number of recovered persons went up from 13 to 15. Citing privacy laws, CHCC declined to release more details about the affected persons but assured that it continues to evaluate all patients who are in isolation at the Kanoa Resort in Susupe once they are admitted, then reassesses and reevaluates them before making the decision to release and mark individuals as “recovered.”

Saipan Tribune learned that CHCC has enlisted the help of six lab scientists from South Korea to increase their testing output. The lab scientists originally came to the CNMI to ensure that the testing machine the CNMI obtained from Seoul is working properly. With their help, CHCC expects to be able to process more tests and come out with the results at a faster rate.

Widened testing

With plans now in place to bring the mass testing into the community, Warren Villagomez, who chairs the Governor’s COVID-19 Task Force, said they will be basing the widened effort to conduct mass testing on the data that they already have at the current mass testing site. Right now, mass testing is being done at the Francisco C. Ada/Saipan International Airport.

“We are going back to the data from what we’re doing at the airport and that would give us the guideline on which community we’re going to be going into first,” said Villagomez.

He said that there are a couple areas that the task force wants to penetrate first to protect and minimize the risk and spread of COVID-19. “We will be coming up with a plan and providing information to the media shortly, and working along with our press information officer from the governor’s office,” said Villagomez.

Additionally, CHCC chief executive office Esther Muña stated that CHCC has done some community outreach and has reached out to Home Health Services to help test their clients. “We’re working with the Home Health Services and their patients that they›re seeing and making sure that they are able to test those and their family,” she said.

Muña has reached out to churches to see if they›re willing to open their doors and their congregations.
To date, the CNMI has 22 confirmed cases, with 15 recoveries, two deaths, and five active cases.

COVID-19 in Guam

The Department of Public Health and Social Services tested 145 individuals over the weekend from May 28 to May 30 for COVID-19. One tested positive for COVID-19 and 144 tested negative.

DPHSS tested:
-64 individuals on May 28
-77 individuals on May 29
-6 individuals on May 30
To date, Guam has a total of 173 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with five deaths, 144 released from isolation, and 24 active cases.