CNMI Gov. Ralph Torres
Saipan-- CNMI Gov. Ralph Torres on Monday extended the state of public health emergency declaration for another month. The new declaration expires Oct. 15.
Last week, Torres announced that the temporary restrictions on in-person interactions, social gathering and business hours, which began on Aug. 24, expired Sunday, Sept. 6.
The CNMI officially returns to Community Vulnerability Level Blue today.
The CNMI had a total Covid-19 case count to 57 cases since March 28. The most recent case was reported on Sept. 1, involving a sailor deployed to Tinian from Guam as part of a team of the Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (Seabees) supporting a survey for the Tinian port construction project.
On Aug. 17, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention eased the travel ban for the CNMI, reduced the alert level for the CNMI from level 3 to 2.
"Covid-19 risk in the Northern Mariana Islands is moderate, and new cases are decreasing or stable," CDC said.
Alert level 2 advises travelers to "practice enhanced precautions."
CDC recommends older adults, people of any age with certain underlying medical conditions, and others at increased risk for severe illness postpone nonessential travel to the CNMI. Some examples of essential travel may include traveling for humanitarian aid work, medical reasons, or family emergencies.
