{"id":374454,"date":"2022-08-18T06:02:40","date_gmt":"2022-08-17T20:02:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/?p=374454"},"modified":"2022-08-18T06:02:40","modified_gmt":"2022-08-17T20:02:40","slug":"cnmi-donates-50k-test-kits-ppes-to-fsm-rmi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/cnmi-donates-50k-test-kits-ppes-to-fsm-rmi\/","title":{"rendered":"CNMI donates 50K test kits, PPEs to FSM, RMI"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
Gov. Ralph DLG Torres gestures as he talks with, from left, CNMI\u2019s COVID-19 Task Force chair Warren Villagomez, Rep. Angel A. Demapan (R-Saipan), and governor\u2019s authorized representative for COVID-19 Patrick Guerrero, yesterday morning at the Homeland Security\u2019s warehouse in San Antonio, where COVID-19 testing kits and personal protective equipment are stored. The CNMI will donate and ship 50,000 testing kits and PPEs, as seen in the background, to the Federated States of Micronesia and Republic of the Marshall Islands this weekend. (FERDIE DE LA TORRE)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The CNMI government has prepared 50,000 COVID-19 test kits, as well as personal protective equipment such as gowns, gloves, face masks, and hand sanitizers, that will be donated and shipped this weekend to the Federated States of Micronesia and Republic of the Marshall Islands.<\/p>\n

The 50,000 testing kits and PPEs, which are being stored and prepared for sendoff at the Homeland Security\u2019s warehouse in San Antonio, are divided equally\u2014at 25,000 each\u2014to FSM and RMI.<\/p>\n

Gov. Ralph DLG Torres, along with some government officials, checked the items in the Homeland Security warehouse yesterday morning.<\/p>\n

Torres told the media that when he heard about the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in FSM, he reached out to FSM President David Panuelo, who was then in Guam, and offered the CNMI\u2019s assistance, sayin he (Torres) knows what it\u2019s like to have the first surge.<\/p>\n

\u201cUnfortunately, our brothers and sisters from FSM have their first outbreak. And we\u2019re one family,\u201d the governor said.<\/p>\n

The latest news release from the FSM government states that there are currently 21 deaths\u00a0in FSM attributable to and\/or associated with COVID-19.<\/p>\n

The governor said that during Super Typhoon Yutu, FSM contributed $200,000 to the CNMI\u2019s recovery and also sent their people to assist the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. in repairing the islands\u2019 power and water supply.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo you can never repay that. Now that they are going through with the first phase [of COVID-19], we know how much help goes a long way,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The governor said they know what supplies are needed.<\/p>\n

Torres said he told Panuelo that they are going to send stuff that FSM will need for their brothers and sisters in FSM and that if there\u2019s any additional request, they are here to support that.<\/p>\n

He said the same thing about the RMI, saying he spoke with RMI President David Kabua and offered the same assistance.<\/p>\n

Torres thanked COVID-19 Task Force chair Warren Villagomez and the CNMI Homeland Security for not just only maintaining the supplies in the warehouse, but acting expeditiously in providing what they are able to send to FSM and RMI.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re also looking what is the fastest way to send it out, whether it\u2019s via air or cargo,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Gov. Ralph DLG Torres, sixth from left, poses with some lawmakers, government officials, and Homeland Security officials and personnel, in front of several boxes containing 50,000 testing kits and personal protective equipment inside the Homeland Security\u2019s warehouse in San Antonio yesterday morning. The items will be donated and shipped this weekend to the Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of the Marshall Islands.\u00a0(FERDIE DE LA TORRE)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Villagomez said that both FSM and RMI need at this moment PPEs and other healthcare equipment, but they are also making sure that they have stocks on hand such as latex gloves, face shields, face masks, as well as N95, in the event that the CNMI get into another spike.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut more so, [we are] preparing our region to make sure that, to anyone in need, we\u2019re readily available to assist,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Villagomez said they have ample test kits on island that they continue to use at this time.<\/p>\n

He said with the CNMI\u2019s donation, they want to make sure that FSM and RMI go out and test their community and start stabilizing and neutralizing the infection.<\/p>\n

Patrick Guerrero, who is the Governor\u2019s Authorized Representative for COVID-19, said they maintained the supplies since the beginning of the pandemic and have continued to keep them stocked and readily available for the CNMI. Guerrero said they also received support from the Federal Emergency Management Agency in terms of supplies.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo we have more than ample supply. But even if we didn\u2019t, I think our brothers and sisters [in FSM and RMI] are in need,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Guerrero said when the CNMI was in need, it received help from all over the Pacific. \u201cIt\u2019s our time to give back to communities that are experiencing this first surge,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Guerrero said they will be delivering the items to Pohnpei and Majuro. \u201cPohnpei would then distribute it out to other states\u2014Chuuk, Kosrae, and Yap, to whoever needs it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Guerrero said they identified some priority items like test kits and some PPEs that they will bring via air. \u201cBut we\u2019re looking also at possibly doing\u2026more community drives for other needed supplies,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Guerrero said there is also a possibility they\u2019re going to work with the FSM and RMI governments and that they might even charter a plane.\u201cThe quickest way to get it. \u2026You can\u2019t put a cost to saving lives, so whatever that cost is, we hope maybe all three governments would come together and see which are the much-needed items, and costs maybe will be a non-issue at this time,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Guerrero said test kits alone cost close to $250,000 in value for each jurisdiction.<\/p>\n

Rep. Angel A. Demapan (R-Saipan) thanked Torres for reaching out to Panuelo and Kabua to offer this assistance.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a saying out there in Micronesia that the ocean doesn\u2019t divide us, it unites us,\u201d said Demapan, adding that CNM is a member jurisdiction of the Micronesia Island Forum. \u201cSo this is one way for us to really take advantage of what it means to be a unified Micronesian region,\u201d the lawmaker said.<\/p>\n

Demapan said that when super typhoons Soudelor and Yutu came through the islands, these communities from Micronesia sent people here to help out.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe CNMI is home to many Micronesians. And we want to show our token of appreciation for the contribution that their community members have made on our islands by giving back to their jurisdictions,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Rep. Roy Ada (R-Saipan) extended his appreciation to partner agencies to include the Department of Public Safety and Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services who stand ready to assist in this trying time for the CNMI\u2019s neighbors in Micronesia.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo we\u2019ll be here ready to assist them on what they may need,\u201d Ada said.<\/p>\n

Rep. Joseph Lee Pan Guerrero (R-Saipan) said the donation is a small amount, but a welcome one. \u201cWe\u2019re very fortunate to have all these, but they don\u2019t have these. We need to assist our brothers and sisters in this Blue Continent. \u2026I think this is a start,\u201d Guerrero said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The CNMI government has prepared 50,000 COVID-19 test kits, as well as personal protective equipment…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":374455,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[94],"tags":[26,478,2687],"class_list":["post-374454","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-headlines","tag-cnmi","tag-fsm","tag-rmi"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/374454","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/23"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=374454"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/374454\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/374455"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=374454"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=374454"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=374454"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}