Message from the President----Fellow Micronesians: Here’s What We Are Doing About the Wuhan Coronavirus

Message from the President

Fellow Micronesians: Here’s What We Are Doing About the Wuhan Coronavirus

My fellow Micronesians,

Over the past 48 hours many of you have called the Department of Health & Social Affairs and the Office of the President, and/or written on social media, regarding your concerns about a new coronavirus that has emerged from the People’s Republic of China. Through this message, I will tell you everything that I know, in my capacity as President of the Nation, about this coronavirus; and I will tell you what the FSM National Government is currently doing to ensure the coronavirus doesn’t reach the FSM.

• Is the FSM National Government aware of the coronavirus?

Yes. First and foremost, I would like to allay your fears that the FSM National Government is ignoring this issue—indeed our National and State public health officials have been monitoring the situation, in close collaboration with each other and their counterparts abroad (e.g. World Health Organization, U.S. Centers for Disease Control), 24/7. Accompanying my statements here is a Health Alert from our Department of Health & Social Affairs, with further updates to come.

• What do we know about the coronavirus?

I have been briefed that the coronavirus was identified in Wuhan City in the People’s Republic of China on January 7^th, 2020. As of today, January 28^th 2020, the FSM National Government is aware of 4,474 cases of the virus, almost all of which have occurred in Wuhan City. 4,049 cases of the coronavirus are within China itself, although there are also increasingly cases throughout the region and other parts of the world. 25% of the confirmed cases are reported to have severe illness, and I am briefed that 107 deaths have been reported as of now. The World Health Organization has assessed the risk of this coronavirus as very high in China, high for the Asia-Pacific region, and moderate at the global level.

The incubation period for the virus is approximately 2-14 days. Someone who is asymptomatic (i.e. doesn’t show signs of being sick) can spread the virus and infect others.

There are still ongoing studies on how the virus is spread. The FSM National Government, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, and the World Health Organization recommend that citizens frequently wash their hands, frequently clean and disinfect commonly touched surfaces such as doorknobs and light switches, and that citizens practice good respiratory hygiene. Good respiratory hygiene includes using a tissue or the upper-sleeve of your shirt when coughing and sneezing.

• What has the FSM National Government already done about the coronavirus?

The Government is enhancing surveillance at ports of entry. The Department of Health & Social Affairs is conducting risk assessments for the coronavirus, and have activated the Emergency Operations Center to ensure that we have 24/7 monitoring on this issue. The Government is reviewing risk communications material, taking an inventory of emergency supplies (including personal protective equipment and emergency laboratory supplies), and scheduling clinical updates for healthcare personnel and first responders. Health alerts have been sent to health providers, and the Government is conducting enhanced surveillance for respiratory symptoms.

• What is the FSM National Government preparing to do about the coronavirus?

I have instructed my relevant Cabinet to form a multi-sectoral task force to review policy on travel restrictions and bans, surveillance at Ports of Entry, quarantine and isolation capacity, risk communications for public dissemination, and assessment of human resource capacity. Today the Department of Health & Social Affairs, in concert with the Department of Justice and the Department of Foreign Affairs, met to discuss these issues among others.

• What are other countries doing to address the coronavirus?

The FSM National Government is aware of a ban on all travelers from China to the Republic of the Marshall Islands, unless said traveler has been in a non-affected country for at least 14 days and completes a special health questionnaire. The Republic of Palau and the Republic of Fiji have increased surveillance for symptoms, to include a health questionnaire at ports of entry.

• Is the FSM considering a health questionnaire at ports of entry, or a travel ban on travelers from China?

In the morning tomorrow, January 29^th 2020, I will be meeting with my senior staff to discuss the options available to us. My initial opinion at the time of this writing is that a health questionnaire upon arrival, and a ban on travelers from China, are the most proactive options available to us. However, the decision that the Government ultimately makes will reflect the professional views of our Cabinet, who possess unique medical, technical, and legal qualifications, among others.

• What should citizens do if they want more information?

Contact the Department of Health & Social Affairs, or your local health department.

1. FSM Department of Health & Social Affairs: 320-2619/8300
2. Yap Department of Health Services: 350-2115/2114
3. Chuuk Department of Health Services: 330-2210/2216/2217
4. Pohnpei Department of Health Services: 320-2214/2215/2216
5. Kosrae Department of Health Services: 370-3199