‘Testing 1% of population regularly is impressive’

The CNMI being able to test 1% of its population regularly is “impressive” and is “excellent testing capacity,” according to Stephanie Kern-Allely, who is regional communicable disease epidemiologist for the Pacific Island Health Officers Association.

Kern-Allely, who was deployed to the CNMI to assist and provide epidemiology services, said in a virtual news briefing Wednesday last week that, based on the previous census data that logs the CNMI’s total population at around 50,000 people, regularly conducting almost 500 COVID-19 tests is an “adequate number.”

“Testing 1% of our population [regularly] is pretty impressive numbers. …That’s already a pretty excellent testing capacity, and I know our team is always working towards improving our laboratory efforts all the time,” she said.

Also participating in the Wednesday briefing were Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. chief executive officer Esther L. Muña and CHCC chief of ancillary services Jesse Tudela.

When asked how CHCC determines how many community-based testing slots to open and when to open up community-based testing, Muña said Wednesday that CHCC consults reports from its contact tracing team, how many individuals are determined as persons under investigation, or PUIs, and the availability of tests.

“We are still looking at the contact tracing report. That is our guide…to determine what’s out there as well as to determine if there’s a need to go out and [expand] community-based testing. …A first case in the community was a decision-maker for us, but how many [testing slots] to make available for the community usually depends on what we’re seeing as positive cases from the PUIs, as well as the availability of testing,” said Muña.

Tudela assured that the CNMI is not running out of COVID-19 test kits, saying that CHCC received a restock of supplies last Oct. 30.

According to Tudela, for CHCC’s surveillance testing events since Oct. 29, maximum slots have been either 376 or 470, and added that close to 500 individuals are tested regularly and that this estimate does not include the ongoing testing of PUIs and incoming travelers, which would further increase this number.

Tudela also said that on Nov. 8 and 10, CHCC will be holding free surveillance testing from noon to 3pm at Mariana Resort & Spa. Walk-ins will not be accepted, and those interested in getting tested can register at https://covidtesting.chcc.health. Tudela said that there will be 470 slots on both days.

According to Tudela, CHCC, in collaboration with the Governor’s COVID-19 Task Force, has been testing people in the CNMI for COVID-19 since the early part of last year. Testing efforts so far have included border testing, which encompasses first and fifth-day arrival testing of those who were on flights or ships, and the testing of Travel Bubble participants.

Tudela also shared that community-based testing at the Kanoa Resort has been happening regularly since March 15 this year, and that antigen COVID-19 testing at schools is conducted on a quarterly basis.

The first round of school-based testing took place in August this year at the start of the CNMI Public School System school year, and the second round of testing took place last last week, which helped identify three positive community cases.