First positive case on Tinian

A sailor who deployed from Guam to Tinian tested positive for COVID-19 last Sept. 1, making him the first person on Tinian to contract the coronavirus, bringing the cumulative COVID-19 cases in the CNMI to 57.

The sailor was identified through the travel screening process. According to a Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. statement, the sailor is a part of the Naval Mobile Construction Battalion, also known as Seabees, that are on Tinian to conduct a survey on the Tinian port construction project.

According to a press statement from the Tinian Mayor’s Office, all Seabees were taken directly to a hotel upon arriving on Tinian from Guam last Aug. 31 and remained in mandatory quarantine until they were brought to the Tinian Health Center for additional testing last Sept. 1.

Warren Villagomez, head of the Governor’s COVID-19 Task Force, said the sailor has been brought to the Kanoa Resort in Susupe where he is now in quarantine, along with 11 Seabees personnel. The team traveled via military aircraft from Guam and flew into the Tinian base in the north field.

“From all accounts, this individual has followed all protocols and procedures required prior to departure to, and upon arrival on Tinian. Our current health screening measures include a redundant testing requirement prior to departing to Tinian and upon arrival to Tinian and mandatory quarantine. This system, although burdensome, is critical to effectively screen for COVID-19 and keeping our community safe,” said Tinian Mayor Edwin Aldan.

The Tinian Health Center, the Tinian Municipal Operations Command, and CHCC have already initiated contact tracing for the most immediate contacts of the new case.

According to the CHCC statement, the U.S. Department of Defense had informed the CNMI government that the entire Seabees team was under restricted movement for more than 14 days on the U.S. Naval Base Guam and all of them tested negative for COVID-19 before traveling to Tinian.

Villagomez stated that CHCC, the task force, and DoD all agreed to quarantine the sailor, as well as the people who had direct contact with him, which includes the Seabees personnel and two additional sailors, who will undergo the mandatory fifth day testing, and remain in Kanoa Resort for close monitoring.

Villagomez said that the Tinian hotel where the sailor stayed in and the rental cars that they used will undergo disinfection. He added that the Department of Public Safety and the task force representative on Tinian will make sure that there is no cross-contamination.

Gov. Ralph DLG Torres later said in a statement that the CNMI government’s partnership with Joint Region Marianas, the COVID-19 Task Force, CHCC, and Tinian Mayor Edwin P. Aldan allowed them to assess and identify the sailor and those who were in contact with the sailor and “place them in isolation away from the community.”

Esther Muña, CHCC chief executive officer, says that, given that the COVID-19 virus is still evolving, the CNMI will continue to be aggressive with testing to further reduce a possible community transmission.