43 more bring total to 855

The Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. reported yesterday morning that 43 individuals were identified and confirmed positive for COVID-19, bringing the CNMI’s total to 855. The new cases were found through surveillance testing on Nov. 29 and have since been quarantined and actively monitored.

CHCC also reported that there are 397 active cases of COVID-19 right now and six active hospitalizations. Of the six, five are unvaccinated, one is vaccinated, and no one is on a ventilator.

Of the 43 new cases, 26 were found through community-based testing and 17 through contact tracing. By vaccination status, of the 43, 11 were fully vaccinated, nine were unvaccinated, one was ineligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, and the remaining were pending verification as of 3am yesterday.

Since Oct. 28, there have been 564 new cases. Of the 564, 266 were found through contact tracing, 286 through community-based testing, and 12 through travel testing.

As for its vaccination updates, CHCC reported that 560 COVID-19 shots were administered on Nov. 29, bringing the CNMI’s vaccination rate to 86.4%. Getting vaccinated, and the CNMI’s high vaccination rate “affords the community more protection against severe illness, hospitalization, and death,” said CHCC.

Tinian cases

In an interview yesterday with KUAM’s Thomas Mangloña II, Tinian Mayor Edwin P. Aldan said that he met with Gov. Ralph DLG Torres and Governor’s COVID-19 Task Force chair Warren F. Villagomez yesterday to discuss Tinian’s further plans because of four community cases of COVID-19 having already been found on Tinian.

Aldan said that task force personnel on Tinian have been conducting contact tracing and COVID-19 testing on the island since the afternoon of Nov. 30 and that discussions have been ongoing with him and the CNMI’s health leaders regarding sending Tinian’s cases to Saipan for isolation and care.

Giving his take on sending Tinian’s cases to Saipan, Aldan told Mangloña that Tinian residents have expressed to him that they would have more peace of mind if allowed to isolate at home. “A lot of our people are telling me, ‘Mayor, I’d rather stay at my house than…be put in a room for seven to 10 days [and not] see anyone in my family,” he said.

Aldan said this will be a concern he will raise during his meeting with the CNMI’s health leaders, but acknowledged that this would deviate from the CNMI’s COVID-19 protocols and that if any more issues arise on Tinian due to deviating from the protocols, the responsibility goes back to him.

“These things are outside the protocol. Now if we deviate from the protocol…I’m afraid that it’s going to be [all] on me…and that’s a big responsibility,” said Aldan.

Aldan’s interview with KUAM can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4RxlxDCs4Y.