‘NMI still needs to be in emergency mode’

Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. chief executive officer Esther Muña, Governor’s COVID-19 Task Force chair Warren Villagomez, and governor’s authorized representative Patrick Guerrero all agree that it’s still necessary to continue the monthly declarations of State of Public Health Emergency and State of Significant Emergency for the CNMI due to imminent threat posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In response to a question by House of Representatives Committee on Health and Welfare chair Rep. Christina E. Sablan (D-Saipan) during Friday’s meeting whether there is still a need to have these monthly emergency declarations, Muña said the federal government itself says the public health emergency is still on and a U.S. Health and Human Services notice last month stated that the emergency is likely to last through December 2021. If that changes, Muña said HHS will be putting out at least a two-month notice before ending the emergency.

In a letter to U.S. governors last January, acting HHS secretary Norris Cochran announced HHS’s intention to keep the public health emergency declaration in place throughout 2021, and the department will give states 60 days’ notice before the declaration is terminated or expires.

Villagomez said he does monthly assessment for the state level on the necessary action, with federal guidance.

“Yes, we still need to be in the emergency mode,” he said.

He said noted that there’s a lot of coordination within inter-government to support, from vaccination to safety, and the community village-based enforcement.

The chairman said the attorney general and the businesses are working with the task force, and the Public School System is having more interactions in classrooms.

GAR Guerrero said he needs the declarations for reimbursement of expenses.

“But I think the short answer and one answer maybe is, as long as there’s a public health emergency, we’re all in line to keep that going,” Guerrero said.

Every month, Gov. Ralph DLG Torres renews Executive Order 2020-04, declaring a State of Public Health and State of Significant Emergency for the CNMI due to the pandemic’s threat.

Torres also renews every month Executive Order 2020-07, which ordered the CNMI Homeland Security and Emergency Management Office, through the Governor’s COVID-19 Task Force, and in partnership with CHCC, to undertake necessary COVID-19 containment measures by means of the development of emergency directives to protect the health and safety of the public.

Guerrero said they have to keep the executive order active for manageability of activities.

“There still has to be an executive order that needs to be in place for certain activities to continue,” Guerrero said.