2 passengers fail to show up for scheduled COVID-19 test

Two passengers who had just arrived in the CNMI failed to show up for their scheduled COVID-19 test last July 7 and have been identified by police, who will then bring them to Kanoa Resort for testing and quarantine.

Warren Villagomez, who chairs the Governor’s COVID-19 Task Force, confirmed in a news briefing yesterday that these passengers were supposed to be tested for their scheduled fifth day of testing. He said the task force is working with the Department of Public Safety to track down these two.

Villagomez stressed that they are implementing the CNMI government’s directive on passengers who do not show up for their scheduled COVID-19 test.

According to the new quarantine procedures for all individuals entering the CNMI, residents who do not show up for their specimen collection appointment will be fined $500, but these two will not be penalized just yet because the new rule only became effective yesterday, July 9. The other rules will, however, apply: They will be brought to the designated isolation site, which is Kanoa Resort in Susupe, by DPS. Additionally, as they get their specimen collected, they will be in isolation while waiting for their results.

DPS will also conduct random quarantine compliance to check on all individuals who are registered in the Sara Alert Symptom Monitoring System and are supposed to be exercising self-quarantine.

If an individual is found disobeying the CNMI entry requirements, then the individual will be quarantined for 14 consecutive days in a manner prescribed by the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. at the designated quarantine/isolation site—at their own cost of $400 per night including meals.

Right now, the rule for arriving passengers is that they will undergo COVID-19 testing upon arrival and, once the test comes up negative, they will be released to home quarantine. They will then be tested again on the fifth day. This was the scheduled test when the two passengers were a no-show.

As for the CHCC staffing at the Alternate Care Site at Kanoa Resort, CHCC chief executive officer Esther Muña said that there is an on-call nurse who does the initial assessment and addresses the health needs (if there is any) of those in isolation.

Villagomez stated that the ACS is 98% done, but there is still no exact date on when it will be completed. He added that because the Electronic Health Record equipment is on the way, it won’t stop CHCC and the task force from using the facility. They will just have to go on paper mode to track patients.

To date, the CNMI has a total of 31 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with two deaths and one active case.

COVID-19 in Guam

According to the Joint Information Center in Guam, the Department of Public Health and Social Services tested 222 individuals for COVID-19 last July 8; one tested positive and 221 tested negative. The case reported household contact to a confirmed case and was identified through contact tracing.

Results included the 168 samples from COVID-19 community testing held at the Astumbo Gym last July 8.

One additional case also tested positive at the Diagnostic Laboratory Services and was a contact to a confirmed case.

To date, Guam has a total of 309 confirmed cases, with five deaths, 202 released from isolation, and 102 active cases. Of those cases, 263 are classified as civilians and 46 are military service members. Guam is not including in its death tally the case of one sailor who died from COVID-19.