The Governor’s COVID-19 Task Force and the Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation (CHCC) would like to inform the public that one (1) additional person has been recently confirmed to have contracted COVID-19.

On Wednesday, May 27, 2020, in response to Governor Ralph DLG. Torres’s latest amendments to the CNMI Emergency Directives of 2020, the Bureau of Environmental Health (BEH) at the Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation (CHCC) issued guidance for restaurants who are re-opening for dine-in services, and have begun conducting inspections for certification of compliance.

Secretary of Community and Cultural Affairs Robert Hunter announced that the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) has granted the CNMI’s request for a waiver to exclude the treatment of “stimulus payments” as resources for CNMI Nutrition Assistance Program (NAP) participants.

Leaders from all over Micronesia have expressed their condolences to the family of the honorable Jose Rebuenog Lifoifoi, fifth Speaker of the CNMI House of Representatives, former Chairman of the Commonwealth Ports Authority, former Chairman of the United Micronesia Development Association (UMDA), and Honorary Consul of the Republic of Palau to the CNMI.

(Nutrition Assistance Program) The CARES Act provision for a refundable tax credit, widely known as the “stimulus checks,” is a payment that is countable as a resource for Nutrition Assistance Program (NAP) eligibility. 

Commissioner of Corrections Wally F. Villagomez announced on Wednesday that all employees, officers, and inmates of the CNMI Department of Corrections (DOC) have all tested negative for COVID-19.

The CCDF Program announces the temporary suspension of accepting new applications of families to be placed in the Wait List.  Both the CCDF and Child Care Licensing Program (CCLP) are in the planning process of establishing health and safety protocols to return eligible children safely to child care.  

In conformance with Governor Ralph DLG. Torres’ extended Public Health Emergency declaration and for ensuring the protocols for social distancing are in place, the Nutrition Assistance Program (NAP) will be distributing benefits through drive thru service again at their office location in As Lito from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. from June 1 to 15, 2020. 

Governor Ralph DLG. Torres announced on Monday that the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) – Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) has approved the CNMI’s request to provide supplemental allotments for eligible and ongoing Department of Community and Cultural Affairs (DCCA) – Nutrition Assistance Program (NAP) households in the CNMI for June 2020 to August 2020.

The CNMI Department of Labor (DOL) announces the first phase option for Employers (Businesses, Government, Other Entities) to register their entities online via www.hiremarianas.com in order to provide information needed to help their employees with the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) and the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) programs.