COVID-19 pandemic in Guam


confirmed its first case of the COVID-19 pandemic on March 15, 2020, and the first death on March 22. The Government of Guam ordered the general lockdown of the island in mid-March. Governor Lou Leon Guerrero announced the implementation of a four-step "Pandemic Condition of Readiness" on April 30, 2020. Guam moved from PCOR 1 to PCOR 2 on May 10, allowing some business activity with restrictions. Under PCOR 2, Guam mandates a 14-day quarantine for most incoming travelers who have not been tested in the previous 3 days.
As of July 31, 2020, there have been 356 confirmed cases, 304 recoveries, and five deaths. The infections from the USS Theodore Roosevelt, which docked at Guam amid its outbreak, are counted separately.

Background

On 12 January, the World Health Organization confirmed that a novel coronavirus was the cause of a respiratory illness in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, who had initially come to the attention of the WHO on 31 December 2019. Unlike SARS of 2003, the case fatality ratio for COVID-19 has been much lower, but the transmission has been significantly greater, with a significant total death toll.
Tourism from East Asian countries is a pillar of Guam's economy. In December 2019, there were 67,000 visitors from Japan and 71,000 from South Korea. Visitors from the US, Taiwan, Philippines, and China made up less than 10% of December 2019 arrivals. In comparison, the total population of Guam is about 165,000.

Timeline

February 2020

assisting Guam police at an isolation facility. The Guam National Guard was activated by Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero on March 21 to assist with COVID-19 efforts.
, April 23
and Lt. Gov. Josh Tenorio visiting temporary medical facilities on Naval Base Guam, April 29
On April 30, 2020, Guam Governor Lou Leon Guerrero, signed Executive Order 2020–11. In this executive order, a plan for recovery for the Guam is outlined and contains a Pandemic Conditions of Readiness system dictating the conditions for gradual reopening of the territory and lifting of quarantine mandates.
Per the plan mandated in the Executive Order and outlined in a presentation by Artemio "Ricky" Hernandez, Deputy Administrator of the Guam Economic Development Authority, there are four PCOR levels with corresponding degrees of quarantine restrictions and mandates: PCOR 1, maximum restrictions; PCOR 2, moderate restrictions; PCOR 3, minimum restrictions; and PCOR 4, no restrictions. The plan also includes provisions for what metrics will be considered prior to any transition from one PCOR level to the next. First, Medical data, including the number of positive cases of COVID-19 and number of hospitalizations due to COVID-19 are considered. The second criteria pertains to public health preparedness including Guam's COVID-19 testing and contact tracing capacity. Measurements of these metrics will be provided for the Governor and Recovery Panel of Advisors' consideration by the Guam Department of Public Health and Social Services.

Transition from PCOR 1 to PCOR 2

As the plan was announced, Guam was currently at PCOR 1 with plans to transition to PCOR 2 by May 9.
Authorized non-governmental activities under PCOR 2
Guam transitioned to PCOR 2 on May 10. At PCOR 2 the following business and non-governmental organizations are authorized to open at a limited basis after such organizations receive an approved adjustment of operations from the Guam Department of Public Health and Social Services:
Under PCOR 2, the following organizational activities are under review:
The following activities fulfilled by the Government of Guam are authorized under PCOR 2:
According to the recovery plan, in order for Guam to have transitioned from PCOR 1 to PCOR 2 the following conditions must have been met:
In order for Guam to transition from PCOR 2 to PCOR 3 the following conditions must be met:
In order for Guam to transition from PCOR 3 to PCOR 4, where all COVID-19 quarantine restrictions are lifted, one of the following conditions must be met:

Age ranges and ethnicities

Guam Recovery Panel of Advisors

The Guam Recovery Panel of Advisors advises the Governor of Guam on pandemic-related measures. It drafted the Chålan Para Hinemlo’ plan with a four-stage Pandemic Condition of Readiness system that was adopted by Executive Order. The Panel's members and their affiliations are: