78 new positive cases

The Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. reported yesterday that 78 positive cases of COVID-19 were confirmed on Dec. 3, bringing the CNMI’s total to 1,182 cases.

Of these cases, 43 were individuals who were already in isolation at a designated government site, CHCC reported. CHCC’s official announcements can be found on its social media pages on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Of the 78 cases, 52 were found through community-based testing and 26 through contact tracing.

Of the 52 found through CBT, 17 cases were identified while isolated. Of the 26 found through contact tracing, all 26 were identified while in quarantine, said CHCC.

CHCC added that the vaccination statuses of these individuals were pending verification as of early morning yesterday.

In related news, Saipan Tribune obtained Sunday a statement from the CHCC board of trustees regarding its Dec. 1 decision to not move forward with amendments to its “CHCC School and Child Care Facilities and Communicable Disease Rules and Regulations.”

The proposed amendments would have mandated COVID-19 vaccinations as a requirement for obtaining health certificates and possibly also for enrolling in any CNMI schools. In the statement, the board said the health and safety of CNMI residents are CHCC’s and its board’s top priority.

“While the current school health certificate requirements may allow for the COVID-19 vaccine to be compulsory, the board decided to reject the proposed amendments to the school health certificate requirements, opting to focus on additional COVID-19 vaccine education. It is the goal of the board and the CHCC to help keep the community safe at all times,” said the board.

A total of 558 COVID-19 shots were administered on Dec. 3, bringing the CNMI’s vaccination rate to 87.9%, which CHCC said, “affords the community more protection against severe illness, hospitalization, and death.”

Also, 750 COVID-19 tests were conducted on Dec. 3 comprising travel and surveillance testing.

CHCC said that “vaccines are the best protection against the highly transmissible virus, and are readily available” at the Pedro C. Tenorio Multi-Purpose Center vaccination site from Monday to Friday, 8am- 6pm, and on Saturday from 8am-4pm. Registration can be completed on vaccinatecnmi.com, and individuals aged 18 and older are eligible to receive booster shots.

Registering for COVID-19 testing can be done through covidtesting.chcc.health. CHCC said that no code is required to register and that if no dates are showing then all spots have been filled. More dates will be announced, CHCC added.