‘Mid-June is realistic date to reopen CNMI’s tourism’

While Guam is reopening its tourism industry next month, the CNMI is looking at mid-June as the “realistic” date to reopen its borders to tourists, according to Gov. Ralph DLG Torres last Friday at a radio news briefing.

Still, underscoring previous statements that a specific date to reopen the CNMI continues to be a moving target, Torres disclosed that they are eyeing reopening either in May or June because they want to have at least 80% of the community already vaccinated against COVID-19.

Realistically, though, mid-June is their target and the only reason why he also mentioned mid-May is because they do have an airline that’s anxious for the CNMI to reopen immediately.

“We are looking into what is the herd immunity percentage by then. But June is most likely that we are looking at,” he said.

Torres said they have a task force under the Governor’s Economic Council of Advisers for air transportation and it has already received some feelers from some airlines in South Korea that they are now working on.

He said there are also some interest as well with other airlines on the opening travel date, whether it’s in mid-May or even mid-June.

The governor said that, although the quarantine for many Asian market is 14 days, there is still a strong interest to travel to the CNMI.

“As we plan this out for May [or] June, we know that we will have early immunity here and thus make it easier for us to open up our borders,” Torres said. “We need to push hard in having a reasonable and sound open date for us.”

He said they are working with these target countries and looking at the number of the percentages of vaccinations that would assure herd immunity in the CNMI. Herd immunity is when a sufficient number of the population is already vaccinated against a disease, thus providing an indirect form of protection for those who are not vaccinated yet. Right now, because COVID-19 is a fairly new disease, it is unknown yet how much of the population should be vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to have herd immunity. In most cases, the number of the vaccinated population should be in the high percentages.

As to the question why the CNMI is looking at reopening later than Guam which has more COVID-19 positive cases, Torres said they want to make sure that CNMI has a high percentage—at least 80%—of the community already vaccinated.

Secondly, he said, is the understanding of the quarantine measures in place at the CNMI’s tourism markets.

“This will allow us to have a sound judgment on what is what we are able and capable and willing to open up the right way for the CNMI,” the governor said.

He said they want to make sure that CNMI’s infrastructure is ready when opening the borders and continue that strong partnership with the Asian market.

Torres said he is waiting for his task force’s recommendations for the specific opening date.

“But at the end of the day, we want to make sure that when we give a date, an exact date, that things are in place already,” he said.

The governor said they are working on additional protocols as well with the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp., the Governor’s COVID-19 Task Force, the Marianas Visitors Authority, and all other agencies that are working on reopening the CNMI’s borders.