The safety and health of the residents of the CNMI remain the top priorities of the Governor’s COVID-19 Task Force and the Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation (CHCC). With approximately 99% of the CNMI’s eligible population fully vaccinated and approximately 53% of those fully vaccinated having received a booster shot, the epidemiological data, and the state of the health system in the CNMI, entry protocols will be updated.
The surveillance of COVID-19 at the border is not the best predictor of the impact COVID-19 has on the CNMI’s health care system, and the CNMI will shift to focus on medically significant community infections.
The Governor’s COVID-19 Task Force and the CHCC will continue to ensure every individual in the CNMI has access to information about COVID-19, to COVID-19 testing, and to therapeutic treatments without barriers so they can safely isolate themselves away from others and prevent spread to those still vulnerable to this virus, especially to the unvaccinated population.
Therefore, effective February 8, 2022, all travelers entering the CNMI by air or sea will no longer be tested on arrival.
All travelers are required to complete a mandatory health declaration form and upload their vaccination card. Travelers are encouraged to fill out their health declaration form prior to arrival at www.staysafecnmi.com.
Unvaccinated travelers should quarantine at home for at least five (5) days and wear a well-fitted mask if they must be around others. Unvaccinated travelers are required to get tested five (5) days after arrival at a Community-Based Testing (CBT) site. If the traveler receives a positive result, the traveler must isolate for an additional five (5) full days. For inbound travelers whose final destination is either Rota or Tinian, their 5th-day test may be scheduled at their respective final destination’s health center.
Fully vaccinated travelers should continue to wear a well-fitted mask if they must be around others and if they develop symptoms, should get tested at least five (5) days after arrival. Fully vaccinated travelers wishing to avail of 5th-day testing must register at a Community-Based Testing site.
Fully vaccinated individuals are responsible for uploading onto their health declaration form proof of completing a COVID-19 vaccine series. The vaccination record must include the following information: vaccine administrator, recipient’s name, recipient’s date of birth, vaccination site, vaccine name, vaccination administration date, lot number, and vaccine expiration date.
For travelers vaccinated outside the CNMI, in addition to the CDC Vaccination Record Card, an official immunization record or an attestation statement may be required by the CHCC Communicable Disease Investigation/Inspection team. The attestation statement confirms that the information provided in the health declaration form is true and is subject to CNMI laws that may lead to criminal fines. For individuals who were vaccinated in the CNMI, vaccination records from the CHCC will be used to verify vaccination status.
Unvaccinated travelers seeking essential worker status must submit a negative PCR test with their health declaration 72 hours prior to arrival via www.staysafecnmi.com.
All travelers and residents are reminded to live COVID-19 safe: follow the 3 W’s (wear your mask, wash your hands, and watch your distance); avoid crowds and poorly ventilated spaces; cover coughs and sneezes; clean and disinfect high touch surfaces daily; be alert for symptoms daily; and get tested for COVID-19.
Individuals who are experiencing mild symptoms may get tested at designated testing sites, rather than head to the CHCC Emergency Department. The CHCC Emergency Department is not a COVID-19 testing site. At-home test kits are available at local pharmacies or general stores. Free at-home COVID-19 test kits are available at www.covidtests.gov.
Individuals can get tested at the Marianas Resort CBT. The CBT schedule is available at https://covidtesting.chcc.health. Individuals can also get tested at the Koblerville COVID-19 Community Center (KC3), which is open seven (7) days a week, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. (closed noon – 1 p.m.).
COVID-19 testing pre-registration will no longer be required for anyone wishing to get tested at the community-based testing site but is encouraged to minimize registration wait time and to reserve a testing slot.
Individuals who test positive for COVID-19 on any COVID-19 test platform (an at-home test kit or otherwise), regardless of vaccination status, must stay home and isolate for at least five (5) days (except to get medical care), even if they do not have symptoms; rest; stay hydrated; wear a wellfitted mask if they must be around others; and can take over-the-counter medicines, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen, to relieve symptoms.
Should an individual experience symptoms during their quarantine, their 5-day quarantine period restarts to 0 days on the day they have symptoms.
COVID-19-positive individuals who do not show symptoms or have symptoms that are resolving (e.g., without a fever for 24 hours) can end their isolation after five (5) days. After completing five (5) full days of isolation, individuals must continue to wear a well-fitted mask, such as a surgical, KN95, or N95 mask around others to minimize the risk of infecting their loved ones.
Data shows that the majority of SARS-CoV-2 transmission occurs early in the course of illness, generally in the 1-2 days prior to the onset of symptoms and up to 4-5 days after with both delta and omicron variants. Individuals who continue to show symptoms should remain in isolation until their symptoms resolve or if they have tested negative on an antigen test.
If an individual cannot isolate at home safely, an order to isolate at a government site will be given by the CNMI Health Official.
Individuals experiencing COVID-19 symptoms should stay home (except to get medical care or get tested for COVID-19); rest; stay hydrated; and can take over-the-counter medicines, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen, to relieve symptoms. Other options include seeing their health care provider or calling the CHCC Tele-Triage hotline at (670) 233-2067. For a guidebook on how to live COVID-19 safe, visit www.staysafecnmi.com/livecovidsafe.
Individuals should call 911 if they are experiencing the following severe symptoms, including but not limited to: trouble breathing; persistent pain or pressure in the chest; new confusion; inability to wake or stay awake; pale, gray, blue-colored skin, lips, or nail beds, depending on skin tone.
The Koblerville COVID-19 Community Center (KC3) located at the Koblerville Youth Center is open to serve the community of Saipan seven (7) days a week including holidays, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (closed noon – 1 p.m.).
The KC3 is a hub where individuals can get tested for COVID-19 (with or without preregistration), get referred for monoclonal antibody treatment assessment, and obtain guidance on all COVID-19 matters, including what to do if they are a close contact of a COVID-19-positive individual.
Individuals are encouraged to seek care at the KC3 if they are experiencing mild COVID19 symptoms, as they may be eligible for treatment that must be given soon after infection.
Individuals requesting PCR test results from COVID-19 CBT sites may call the following numbers: (670) 785-9972, 785-9973, 785-9970, 785-9968, 785-9966.
The CHCC and the Governor’s COVID-19 Task Force highly encourage unvaccinated individuals to get vaccinated or get a booster shot against COVID-19 to help prevent severe illness, hospitalization, and death. Data from small clinical trials show that vaccine effectiveness against COVID-19 infection is waning after the primary series, but protection remains high against severe disease and hospitalization. Register for COVID-19 vaccination at www.vaccinatecnmi.com.
The confirmation of the omicron variant in the CNMI further emphasizes the importance of boosters and prevention efforts needed to protect against COVID-19. According to the CDC, data from clinical trials showed that a booster shot increased the immune response in trial participants who finished a Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna primary series 6 months earlier or who received a Johnson & Johnson/Janssen single-dose vaccine 2 months earlier. With an increased immune response, individuals should have improved protection against getting infected with COVID-19. For Pfizer-BioNTech and Johnson & Johnson/Janssen, clinical trials also showed that a booster shot helped prevent severe disease.
Call CHCC contact tracers for concerns regarding a possible exposure to a positive case or for referral to get assessed for monoclonal antibody treatments at (670) 286-1710, 286-1711, 285- 1942, 287-1652, and 287-1683.
For mental health support and coping skills, call (670) 284-0843 or 284-0847, every day, 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
For more information regarding general COVID-19 response protocols, call the COVID-19 Infoline at (670) 488-0211, every day, 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Updates from the COVID-19 Task Force and the CHCC can be found on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts @governorcnmi and @cnmichcc, as well as through CNMI media partners.
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