On March 27, 2022, Governor Ralph DLG Torres issued a press release stating that the CNMI is in COVID-19 Community Level Medium and will no longer recommend for all people to wear a mask indoors in public. However, people who are considered immunocompromised, at high risk for severe illness, or reside with someone who is immunocompromised, should talk to a healthcare provider about whether they need to wear a mask and take other precautions. That said, Mount Carmel School is ready to share the following summarized below:
Effective, April 11, 2022, Mount Carmel School will give individuals the option to wear a mask indoors and outdoors while on campus.
Mount Carmel School will continue to promote recommended COVID-19 mitigation practices
Mount Carmel School encourages parents/guardians to discuss the school’s recent COVID-19 update with their students
CNMI’s COVID-19 Resources
Effective, April 11, 2022, Mount Carmel School will give families, students, and employees the option to wear a mask indoors and outdoors while on campus.
As stated, Mount Carmel School will give families, students, and employees the option to wear a mask indoors and outdoors while on campus starting April 11, 2022. In addition to the Governor’s recent press release, this decision was determined by the school’s leadership team based on official data provided by the Governor’s COVID-19 Task Force and the Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation.
The CNMI has officially reached level “Green” and “medium” based on the reduction of confirmed positive cases in the CNMI
According to the Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation, from February 02, 2022, to March 31, 2022, confirmed positive cases have reduced from 261 new cases to 16 in the CNMI
As of April 04, 2022, 60.6% of the eligible population have received an additional dose of a COVID-19 vaccine
And as of April 03, 2022, 11,093 confirmed individuals have successfully recovered from their exposure
Mount Carmel School will continue to promote recommended COVID-19 mitigation practices
Although the school will give individuals the option to wear a mask while on campus, Mount Carmel School will continue to promote recommendations by the Center for Diseases Control and Prevention, the Governor’s COVID-19 Task Force, and the Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation. This includes the following:
Wear a mask if you or a person you are living with is considered immunocompromised
Wear a mask in large crowded spaces
Watch your distance from others as an added precaution while in public
Wash your hands regularly to protect yourself from any form of viral infection
Regularly sanitize communal spaces, classrooms, and offices
Maintain UV light sanitation devices throughout indoor spaces
Participate in regular COVID-19 testing opportunities
And stay up-to-date on available COVID-19 vaccines and boosters
Additionally, Mount Carmel School will adjust as needed throughout the duration of this pandemic. In the event that another spike was to occur in the community, Mount Carmel School will remain prepared to adjust its COVID-19 protocols as needed.
Mount Carmel School encourages parents/guardians to discuss the school’s recent COVID-19 update with their students
Before the new COVID-19 protocol goes into effect on Monday, April 11, 2022, Mount Carmel School encourages parents and guardians to take this week to discuss with their students the option to wear a mask at school. Talking points might include:
Whether or not they should continue wearing a mask during school hours and events
Members of the family who are considered immunocompromised
How to identify COVID-19 symptoms and whom to contact
The importance of regular COVID-19 testing
An action plan in the event the student or a member of the family has contracted the COVID-19 virus
And/or respecting individuals who may or may not choose to wear a mask for the remainder of the school year
CNMI’s COVID-19 Resources
To obtain general information about the CNMI COVID-19 response, call the Governor’s COVID-19 Task Force Infoline at (670)488-0211, available every day, 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM, or visit www.staysafecnmi.com.
Official CNMI COVID-19 updates are also available on the following platforms:
Our team at Mount Carmel School understands that for some families, providing the option to wear a mask might seem daunting. However, it is important to remember that our communal efforts to follow official recommendations and procedures shared by Governor’s COVID-19 Task Force, the Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are what continue to make us one of the safest places in the world.
It is important that we continue to learn how to live with this virus and adjust as needed to keep members of our community safe.