With an initial projection that the CNMI will have a peak of 6,000 COVID-19 infections by mid-June, the CNMI was able to stockpile personal protective equipment to last for the next three to four months or more. So far, the CNMI has been able to keep its infections number at a low 30, and this means the CNMI has more than enough PPEs on hand.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith the success that we are having as a community\u2026we\u2019re able to expend those PPEs for a longer period of time, and if we can maintain the numbers, we may not have to spend a penny more for the next month,\u201d said Gov. Ralph DLG Torres at his radio news briefing last Thursday.<\/p>\n
Torres stated that they seized every opportunity they had to get their hands on PPEs, guided by the projected number of cases and based on the recommendation of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.<\/p>\n
As for the test kits, based on the 50,000 population of the CNMI, Torres said that they wanted to order 20% more \u201cjust in case.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNow that we\u2019re seeing that this is going to be a longer process, we do have test kits, but we\u2019re ordering other parts of the test itself like reagents, swabs, and more,\u201d said Torres.<\/p>\n
With some concerns that the test kits may not be accurate, Torres assured that the ones in the CNMI have are backed with an Emergency Use Authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and are expected to soon be FDA approved, so there\u2019s should be no question as to how accurate they are because \u201cwe have as accurate as any test kit, if not, even better.\u201d<\/p>\n
Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. chief executive officer Esther Mu\u00f1a, who was also with Torres at the press briefing, said that every test is evaluated at CHCC to make a final decision. She pointed out that there\u2019s always a possibility of a false positive or false negative, not only for COVID-19 tests but for every test at any hospital. \u201cNothing is perfect, but that\u2019s why you have the clinical aspect there,\u201d said Mu\u00f1a. \u201cCommunity-based testing, for example, the results of those are reviewed by our providers [or] pathologists and our medical doctors…\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2026Our laboratory technicians and professionals at CHCC are credentialed. They\u2019re highly qualified,\u201d said Warren Villagomez, who chairs the Governor\u2019s COVID-19 Task Force.<\/p>\n
Additionally, Villagomez said that CHCC goes through credentialing and the laboratory personnel are recognized by the United States credentialing committee, clinical laboratory improvement amendments, and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.<\/p>\n
\u201cPlease be assured that the results that are coming out are looked at very closely,\u201d said Villagomez.<\/p>\n
To date, the CNMI has a total of 30 confirmed cases, with five active cases and two deaths.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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