This page will be regularly updated as new information is received
Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Pandemic
Overview
The COVID-19 virus is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus. Most people infected with the virus will experience mild to moderate respiratory illness and recover without requiring special treatment. Older people and those with underlying medical problems like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, and cancer are more likely to develop serious illness. The best way to prevent and slow down transmission is to be well informed about the COVID-19 virus, the disease it causes and how it spreads. Protect yourself and others from infection by washing your hands or using an alcohol-based rub frequently and not touching your face. The COVID-19 virus spreads primarily through droplets of saliva or discharge from the nose when an infected person coughs or sneezes, so it’s important that you also practice respiratory etiquette (for example, by coughing into a flexed elbow). At this time, there are no specific vaccines or treatments for COVID-19. However, there are many ongoing clinical trials evaluating potential treatments.
The COVID-19 virus has now been detected in more than 200 locations internationally, including the Pacific Island Countries and Territories, with confirmed cases in Guam, CNMI, Fiji, French Polynesia, New Caledonia, and Papua New Guinea. Among our close neighbors, cases were also reported in Australia, New Zealand, and Hawaii.
COVID-19 Cases in the USAPIs (as of 10/01/2020 at 11:00AM HST)
| Jurisdiction | Confirmed Cases | Recovered | Deaths |
| American Samoa | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) | 73 | N/A | 2 |
| Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Guam | 2,548 | N/A | 49 |
| Republic of Palau | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Republic of the Marshall Islands | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Prevention
To prevent infection and to slow transmission of COVID-19, do the following:
Symptoms
The COVID-19 virus affects different people in different ways. COVID-19 is a respiratory disease and most infected people will develop mild to moderate symptoms and recover without requiring special treatment. People who have underlying medical conditions and those over 60 years old have a higher risk of developing severe disease and death.
Quick Facts
USAPIs Government Officials: COVID-19 Response
- American Samoa Declaration of Continued and Expanded Public Health Emergency
- CNMI Executive Order No. 2020-01 – Declaration of a State of Significant Emergency and to Establish Response, Quarantine, and Preventative Containment Measures Concerning the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (nCOV) to the CNMI
- FSM National Declaration Placing the Entire Federated States of Micronesia under a State of National Public Health Emergency in Connection with the COVID-19 Pandemic
- FSM – Pohnpei State Government Constitutional Emergency Order No. 20-01
- FSM – Kosrae State Government Declaration of a State of Emergency
- Guam Executive Order No. 2020-03 – Relative to Declaring a State of Emergency to Respond to Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)
- Palau Ministry of Health Directive No. 60-20 – Certification of Unavoidable Public Health Emergency
- RMI Ministry of Health and Human Services Issuance 1: As of January 24, 2020 – 2019 Novel Coronavirus – Health Travel Advisory and Restrictions
- RMI Ministry of Health and Human Services Issuance 11: As of April 2, 2020 – 2019 Novel Coronavirus – Updated Interim Health Travel Advisory and Restrictions