FSM extends pre-quarantine period, requires two tests prior to entry

David W. Panuelo

PALIKIR, Pohnpei—The Federated States of Micronesia is extending the mandatory Guam-based pre-quarantine for repatriating citizens and residents to 10 days from its previous requirement of just seven days.

Acting on the advice of the COVID-19 Task Force, Federated States of Micronesia president David W. Panuelo on Friday made the decision to extend the pre-quarantine period to allow the FSM government to implement two COVID-19 tests to repatriating persons prior to their arrival into FSM. Previously, such repatriating persons only required a single COVID-19 test while in pre-quarantine.

The decision cited concerns over the delta variant of COVID-19. An FSM government press statement said the more transmissible and virulent delta variant has resulted in mobile morgues in Hawaii and the installation of medical tents in Guam due to hospital overflow.

“The primary reason for extending pre-quarantine to 10 days instead of seven is to give us ample time to conduct two COVID-19 tests to repatriating persons before they come into the country,” Panuelo said in a statement. “Guam is significantly more vaccinated than the FSM, and is equipped with superior resources, and yet our Guamanian brothers and sisters are finding the delta variant extraordinarily challenging. The takeaway for us in the FSM, then, is to strengthen our efforts at keeping COVID-19 out of our country. Our nation’s top medical experts suggest that the way to keep ourselves safe is to mandate a second test in pre-quarantine. Simply canceling repatriation flights is not politically or economically feasible because the results would mean numerous schools shutting down, infrastructure projects being lost, and assets for tackling illegal fishing being shifted elsewhere.”

All other requirements for repatriation into the FSM remain unchanged, such as possession of documentary evidence of persons being fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and the submission of appropriate forms.

Two repatriation flights are scheduled to arrive from Guam to the state of Pohnpei on Sept. 16 and Sept. 30, 2021, respectively. The latter of these flights is predominantly focused on essential workers such as doctors, engineers, and teachers. The states of Yap and Kosrae have described their intentions for a repatriation flight during the month of September but the dates for those flights are to be determined. The state of Chuuk has described that it may be prepared for its first direct repatriation flight sometime in the month of October 2021.

As of Sept. 6, 2021, precisely 560 persons have been repatriated into FSM. Of this number, 485 persons have been repatriated to Pohnpei; 38 have been repatriated to Kosrae; and 37 have been repatriated to Yap.

As of Sept. 6, 2021, approximately 60% of the nation’s adult population is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and approximately 70% of the adult population is partially vaccinated.

FSM remains COVID-19 free. (PR)