CNMI loses high-risk designation even as it posts 54th Covid case

The Northern Marianas' designation as a high-risk area for Covid-19 has been withdrawn even as the CNMI recorded its second case of community transmission yesterday.

The latest coronavirus case was identified through contact tracing from the 50th case and raises the CNMI's total number of positive cases to 54.

This comes a day after three passengers from an off-island flight tested positive for the coronavirus.

Despite this the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has removed a high-risk travel designation that was earlier placed on the CNMI, to the dismay of local authorities.

The CDC lowered the alert to Level 2, which means that travellers' risk of exposure to Covid-19 is "moderate" and new cases are either decreasing or stable.

However the CDC still recommended that older adults, people of any age with underlying medical conditions, and those who are at risk for severe illness, should reconsider non-essential travel.