By Pacific Island Times News Staff
Saipan-- The CNMI government has revised its travel entry protocols in a bid to prevent the community spread of Covid-19, whose new cases are detected during travel screening.
"The safety of the residents of the CNMI remains the top priority of the Governor’s Covid-19 Task Force and the Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation," states a press release from the government.
The CNMI has reported a total of 265 Covid-19 positive cases since March 2020
Effective Sept. 24, unvaccinated inbound travelers originating from a Level 3 or higher jurisdiction on the CDC travel recommendations list are required to quarantine for seven days in a designated government facility if they submit a negative PCR test dated no earlier than 48 hours prior to arrival.
The length of quarantine will be 10 days for those who do not submit a negative PCR test dated no earlier than 48 hours prior to arrival.
Fully vaccinated travelers, regardless of travel origin, are still required to quarantine for five days in a government facility.
Any stopover 24 hours in a Level 3 or higher jurisdiction will count as a traveler’s origin. All travelers will still be tested for Covid-19 on arrival and on their fifth day in quarantine. Fully vaccinated travelers will be released after they test negative for Covid-19 on the 5th day. Unvaccinated travelers will be tested on their fifth day in quarantine, but will be released on their seventh day if they test negative and have submitted a negative PCR test dated no earlier than 48 hours prior to arrival.
Unvaccinated travelers who have not submitted a negative PCR test will be released on their 10th day if they test negative on their fifth-day test.
The CHCC may conduct additional PCR tests on the seventh or tenth day when deemed clinically necessary..
All travelers who test positive for Covid-19 will be isolated in the designated government facility for 10 days. Fully vaccinated travelers are required to include their vaccination documentation in their mandatory health declaration form prior to their arrival.
CDC vaccination record cards are not acceptable vaccination records for the purpose of quarantining for five days only. For individuals who were vaccinated in the CNMI, the CHCC Communicable Disease Investigation/Inspection team will look up CHCC vaccination records to verify that the individual is fully vaccinated. Individuals who were vaccinated outside the CNMI are required to provide an official immunization record from their vaccine provider that must include the following information: name of immunization record provider, traveler's name, traveler’s date of birth, type of vaccine administered, vaccine name, vaccine lot number, and vaccine administration date.
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Essential workers requesting entry into CNMI must complete the essential worker request section within the online CNMI Mandatory Declaration Form at least three days prior to arrival. The request will be reviewed by the CNMI Territorial Health Official for a decision. Not all requests are automatically approved.
Travelers who are requesting critical or essential work approval will be evaluated based on the strength of work justification, point of origin, negative PCR test results dated no more than 72 hours prior to arrival, Covid-19 vaccinations, and transit/flight plans.
Essential workers may report to work after receiving their test results from a specimen collected on the day of arrival and approval of job-site assessment. Travelers in this category are urged to communicate with the CNMI Territorial Health Official via travelers.health@chcc.health in advance of planning their trip to CNMI.
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