70% of CNMI adult population gets 1st dose

The CNMI recently hit a milestone last week, with 70% of its eligible adult population having already received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, well ahead of the goal of President Joe Biden to have at least 70% of eligible Americans have their first dose by July 4.

The Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. announced last Saturday that VaccinateCNMI has already inoculated 70% of the adult population—18 years and older—with their first dose of the COVID-19, just in time as the CNMI prepares to reopen its borders to tourists this July.

As for those who are now fully vaccinated—those who have already received their second dose if they’re getting either the Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna Inc. vaccine—the percentage rate currently stands at 57%.CHCC has been administering the Pfizer vaccine, the Moderna vaccine, and the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen one-dose COVID-19 vaccine.

Biden had set a goal of getting 70% of U.S. adults to receive at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine by July 4. CHCC announced that the CNMI has reached that already.

“President Biden wants 70% of American adults to have their first dose by July 4th. We’re way ahead of that [and] we expect to be way ahead of that by July 4th. We expect to meet 70% by the end of next week,” said Muña in an interview last week. The Biden administration projects to see 160 million adults fully vaccinated by Independence Day.

In the CNMI, as it stands, fully vaccinated persons are broken down into:

-12-15 years old: 52
-16-19 years old: 1,366
-20-29 years old: 3,509
-30-39 years old: 3,600
-40-49 years old: 4,778
-50-59 years old: 5,698
-60-69 years old: 3,369
-70-79 years old: 975
-80+ years old: 208

Level 1 jurisdiction traveler avails new quarantine procedure

Jerry Peter was the first traveler from a Level 1 jurisdiction to head straight home from the airport after arriving yesterday. Although CHCC did not indicate where he came from, examples of a Level 1 jurisdiction are American Samoa, Australia, Hong Kong, the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Palau, Western Samoa, Taiwan, and Vietnam. Guam is at Level 3; the Philippines is at Level 4. The CNMI is classified as a Level 1 jurisdiction.

Recently, CHCC changed its protocols to allow travelers coming in from a Level 1 jurisdiction—as per the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s travel list—to go straight to their home or lodging after arrival, after completing travel requirements.

Travelers coming in from a Level 2 or higher jurisdiction can now be tested at the airport after submitting their mandatory health declaration form at least 72 hours prior to their arrival. This will ensure that their COVID-19 vaccination is verified and that their home or lodging passes assessment before they land.

Walk-ins for vaccination welcomed

CHCC continues to welcome walk-ins at the Medical Care and Treatment Site at the upper CHCC parking level and the Pedro P. Tenorio Multi-Purpose Center in Susupe to get their vaccine. This relieves the barrier of getting vaccinated, according to Muña.

For the MCATS, its hours are from Monday to Friday, 8am-6pm, and Saturdays, 8am-to12pm. For the Multi-Purpose, its hours are from Monday to Friday, 8am-6pm, and Saturdays, 8am-4pm.

Transportation to and from vaccination sites are free and available by registering online at www.vaccinatecnmi.com or calling 682-SHOT (7468). Those who are 12- to 17-year-olds who complete their two-dose series will receive gift bags, according to CHCC.