Increase in community transmission detected
By Pacific Island Times News Staff
Saipan-- CNMI Gov. Ralph Torres on Friday issued a memorandum shutting schools and colleges for 10 days to contain the community spread of Covid-19 as contact tracing continues.
The governor issued the directive following tests detecting a school cluster.
While the government has been reporting Covid-19 cases detected among travelers in quarantine, the CNMI has not had community transmissions in several months until this week.
In addition to the three cases detected at a public school Thursday, the latest tests identified 10 more positive cases, bringing the CNMI's count to 304 since March 28, 2020.
The individuals were identified and confirmed via surveillance testing on Oct. 28.
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The recently identified individuals have been quarantined and are actively monitored, according to the Governor's CNMI Task Force.
The governor's office said Torres has been in close communication with Public School System and Northern Marianas College to initiate a safe and efficient closure of schools and colleges.
"The CHCC Communicable Disease Investigation/Inspection team has already initiated contact tracing for the most immediate contacts of the newly confirmed cases, and this effort will continue until all probable cases are identified and tested," the governor's office said.
Currently, there is one hospitalization, unrelated to the recent cases.
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Northern Marianas College President Galvin S. Deleon Guerrero on Friday said an NMC employee tested positive for Covid-19.
“College facilities will be closed from Oct. 29, through Nov. 7,” he said. “All face-to-face and hybrid classes, along with most student support services, will be migrated online from Oct. 29 through Nov. 7.”
He said college employees will transition to teleworking from Oct. 29.
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