CHCC expands registration for COVID vaccinations on Tinian

The Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. has expanded the registration for Tinian’s Phase 1A and Phase 1B COVID-19 vaccinations.

According to CHCC’s Facebook post yesterday, Tinian registrants will get vaccinated this Saturday, Feb. 20, from 9am to 3pm at the Tinian Health Center. The last person to be vaccinated will be at 2:30pm.

The Phase 1A and Phase 1B criteria includes all persons 55 years or older, CNMI infrastructure workers in the public and private sectors (food and agriculture, commercial facilities, media and telecommunications, transportation systems, energy and utilities, financial services, waste and water systems, public works and support systems, education staff [Public School System, Northern Marianas College, private schools, and daycares]), COVID-19 contractors employed by the CNMI Governor’s COVID-19 Task Force, and CNMI state/local government employees.

CHCC said that vaccination will depend upon verification of employment status by THC and daily capacity.

Speaking at a press briefing last Friday, CHCC chief executive officer Esther Muña said that in the best-case scenario, all individuals who want to be vaccinated will have received their shots by May. The worst-case scenario is that the vaccination will be completed in August.

COVID-19 vaccines are a two-shot regimen. As of Thursday, a total of 8,396 dose 1, and 5,585 dose 2 have been administered to individuals on Saipan, 273 dose 1 and 128 dose 2 for individuals on Tinian, and 363 dose 1 on Rota. This brings the CNMI total to 14,825 doses administered.

Muña said the CNMI has received a total of 18,000 COVID-19 vaccination doses, and there are currently 6,000 doses left. She added that CHCC communicates regularly with the federal government to ensure that the allocation of vaccines for the CNMI is adequate.

“We anticipate to receive more doses by the end of this month,” said Muña.

The current goal is to vaccinate at least 60% to 70% of the adult population, more specifically the man’amko, or those 55 years or older within the CNMI.

With the new guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that those who are fully vaccinated will be able to skip quarantine if they are exposed to someone who is infected, Muña said that CHCC, the task force, and the administration will continue to do what’s right and appropriate for the CNMI.

“We’ve seen what happens with loosened protocols: more cases and more infections in the community, which we don’t have,” she added.

Muña said the main focus is that they are more committed to making sure that the man’amko and the most vulnerable population are protected.

Walk-ins for vaccination are only available for the man’amko; all other individuals must register either online or over the phone.

Muña reiterated that the plan for the local vaccination campaign was submitted to and approved by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the CDC.