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EVEN WITH MANY PASSENGERS TESTING POSITIVE
‘No recommendation to stop flights’
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Posted on Aug 26 2020
Although it’s not up to the CNMI government to stop flights as it’s solely the Federal Aviation Administration’s decision, Governor’s COVID-19 Task Force chair Warren Villagomez said that, at this moment, there’s no recommendation to stop flights from coming in, even if there’ve many passengers who have tested positive for the coronavirus.
Villagomez stated on the weekly radio briefing that because they are seeing a low, steady number, there’s no need to stop flights, especially since it’s manageable. However, they can recommend a suspension. He added that Gov. Ralph DLG Torres can still make a request to United Airlines based on the previous vulnerability.
Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. chief executive officer Esther Muña said even if we can’t stop the flights, the least the task force and CHCC can do is to protect the community, which is the purpose of having quarantine, testing on arrival and on the fifth day.
Muña stated that even before Guam made that decision to go on lockdown, CHCC and the task force decided not to accept polymerase chain reaction test, not only from Guam, but from anywhere a passenger originated from.
As for the quarantine capacity at Kanoa Resort in Susupe and the former Mariana Resort & Spa in Marpi, Villagomez says that Kanoa is at 60% while Mariana Resort is at 80%. Additionally, Villagomez says that they have been seeing a decrease in the number of arrivals.
With Mariana Resort being one of the government’s quarantine sites, Villagomez says that it’s been helpful for them to not only help people, but to make sure that no one’s missing, and everyone is treated fairly.
Muña added that the protections that are being placed at the airport is one way to make sure that the community will remain “safe.” She said that with Guam’s situation, where 23 are hospitalized and six are in the intensive care unit, CHCC and the task force wants to make sure that “the circle of health is protected,” because they don’t want anyone to be fighting for their lives at CHCC due to COVID-19.
