Christmas Day is right around the corner, and Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. chief executive officer Esther L. Mu\u00f1a says it is still possible to reduce one\u2019s COVID-19 risk in social gatherings.<\/p>\n
Mu\u00f1a urged the community last Friday to reconsider their planned gatherings, but if you choose to go through with holding a gathering, she advises taking into account one\u2019s safety and the safety of others.<\/p>\n
If possible, Mu\u00f1a advises holding gatherings outdoors. If this is not possible, or if a gathering needs to be indoors, she advises limiting the number of guests, opening windows to ensure proper ventilation, wearing a face covering, and rearranging furniture to ensure social distancing. <\/p>\n
For gatherings where guests will sit down and eat together, Mu\u00f1a advised reducing direct, unmasked face-to-face conversations with others as much as possible. If there will be a buffet, Mu\u00f1a recommended having hand sanitizer and disposable gloves readily available. <\/p>\n
Mu\u00f1a said the CNMI\u2019s active hospitalizations are of great concern to her and CHCC, and that the pattern being observed thus far is that COVID-19 transmission is taking place during social gatherings and in households.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is very concerning for us with this high number of hospitalizations. We want everyone to please reconsider [their social gatherings]. The patterns that we\u2019re seeing with these cases [is] that it is happening in social gatherings, it is happening within the household, it is happening with loved ones,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
As of Dec. 19, there are 12 active hospitalizations as a result of COVID-19. By vaccination status, seven are unvaccinated and five vaccinated. Two of the 12 are on a ventilator, and four patients have already been discharged. <\/p>\n
Mu\u00f1a acknowledged that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought hardships to all and that the holiday season is a time to gather and celebrate, but again emphasized the importance of keeping you and your loved ones safe.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know that it\u2019s a time of celebration and it\u2019s probably something you haven\u2019t done in quite a while [and] we can be creative and we can do it safely. \u2026The best gift you can give to your family is their safety, health, and protection, and this is really the time to do it, especially [with] the patterns that we\u2019re seeing so we can reduce our cases, but mainly prevent hospitalizations,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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