It has been determined that two clusters make up 21 of the CNMI\u2019s most recent community COVID-19 positive cases, with five new cases deemed to be \u201cunlinked\u201d to the two clusters for now.<\/p>\n
Also, the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. reported yesterday that six individuals have been confirmed positive and were identified through surveillance testing on Oct. 30 and 31 and Nov. 1. One other case\u2014a traveler who tested positive on Oct. 23 and is still in quarantine\u2014brings the CNMI\u2019s active cases to 28 in all.<\/p>\n
These recent cases bring the CNMI\u2019s total to 318. CHCC said the six have been isolated and are now being monitored. <\/p>\n
During a virtual news briefing yesterday, CHCC chief executive officer Esther L. Mu\u00f1a said the two clusters combine for 21 of the CNMI\u2019s most recent community cases of COVID-19.<\/p>\n
Twelve positive individuals came from the first cluster, with its first case being a middle school student who was identified through school-based testing on Oct. 28. \u201cContact tracing led to the identification of multiple instances of household transmission to family members and close acquaintances in multiple households,\u201d Mu\u00f1a said, and the earliest onset of cases linked to this cluster dates back to Oct. 7, 2021. <\/p>\n
All 12 from this cluster were household contacts to another case in the cluster, and all 12 are in isolation at the Kanoa Resort quarantine site. Close contacts who were identified in schools, workplaces, and households, along with their guardians, have been placed in quarantine at Kanoa as well, said Mu\u00f1a.<\/p>\n
For this cluster, the first day of fifth-day COVID testing will take place on Nov. 2. <\/p>\n
Nine positive cases came from the second cluster, with its first case being a staff member at a middle school who was identified through school-based testing on Oct. 28. Through contact tracing, transmission among family members in two different households and individuals at workplaces was identified. The earliest onset of cases linked to this cluster dates back to Oct. 20, 2021, Mu\u00f1a said. <\/p>\n
All nine from this cluster were household contacts to another case in the cluster, and two of the nine were workplace contacts, said Mu\u00f1a. All nine from this cluster are in isolation at Kanoa, and all close contacts who were identified in schools, workplaces, and households, along with their guardians, have been placed in quarantine at Kanoa. <\/p>\n
The first day of fifth-day testing for this cluster will take place on Nov. 2 as well.<\/p>\n
Mu\u00f1a added that two incoming travelers, who tested positive on Oct. 23 and Oct. 29 respectively, are still in quarantine. <\/p>\n
Besides Mu\u00f1a, taking part in yesterday\u2019s briefing included Gov. Ralph DLG Torres, Governor\u2019s COVID-19 Task Force chair Warren Villagomez, and Stephanie Kern-Allely, who is a regional communicable disease epidemiologist for the Pacific Island Health Officers Association. Kern-Allely said that she was deployed to the CNMI to assist and provide epidemiology services.<\/p>\n
In the CHCC news statement yesterday, CHCC reported that there have been 27 community cases since Oct. 28. Of the 27, 19 were identified through contact tracing, seven through community testing, and one through travel testing. So far, 2,505 COVID-19 tests have been conducted through travel and surveillance testing.<\/p>\n
CHCC also reported that 24 of the 27 of the community cases thus far, or 89%, reported experiencing symptoms. <\/p>\n
CHCC assures that its Communicable Disease Investigation\/ Inspection team has already initiated contact tracing for those in contact with the most recent cases, and said \u201cthis effort will continue until all probable cases are identified and tested.\u201d <\/p>\n
CHCC said that its contact tracers will reach out to contacts who are deemed high risk, and that the \u201cassociated risk of infection depends on the level of exposure, which will, in turn, determine the type of monitoring. Establishing the level of exposure can be difficult and requires investigation.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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