Guam finally reached its target to immunize 80 percent of its adult population, prompting the government to lift most coronavirus-related restrictions — except for the mask mandate — effective Friday, Lt. Gov. Josh Tenorio announced Thursday.
Although the island achieved herd immunity one week behind the July 21 target date, Tenorio said Operation Liberate Guam was “a great success.”
A total of 96,066 eligible adults have received either both doses of the two-dose series--Pfizer or Moderna--or the single-dose series Johnson & Johnson. Tenorio said.
After 18 months of guarded movement, Guam residents are finally returning to normalcy as all businesses and services are to be allowed to operate at full capacity.
“Now that we have successfully achieved Operation LiberateGuam, under ExecutiveOrder 2021-16, restrictions including limitations on all social gatherings, social distancing requirements, except in school settings based on the applicable guidance memorandum from the Department of Public Health and Social Services, and the requirement of operations on an appointment-only basis will be lifted beginning at 12:01am, July 30, 2021,” said Tenorio, who is acting governor.
However, Tenorio said, the mask mandate remains in place at all businesses and church services, whether indoors or outdoors.
“The public health emergency has been renewed until August 30, 2021 and Guam continuesto remain under Pandemic Condition of Readiness 3. As these restrictions are lifted, we ask that everyone on the island continue to abide by the DPHSS Covid-19safety guidelines,” Tenorio said.
With 143 Deaths and 8,522 officially reportedcases of Covid19, the pandemic has enjoined us together in a collective grief of loss and hardship.
Tenorio urged the vaccine holdouts to get their jabs.
"Every shot administered in the arms of Guam’s people has served as a shield, defending our community from this deadly virus and we continue to encourageevery eligible individual who has not received their shots to get vaccinated," he said. "I am certain that as our numbers continueto grow, so will our protection against Covid-19."
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