23 medical personnel have tested positive for COVID-19 from five healthcare locations

Twenty-three medical personnel have tested positive for COVID-19 from five health care locations. This new information was presented in the Department of Public Health and Social Services' response to a Freedom of Information Act request.

On April 17, Vigilance Committee president Michelle Armenta sent a Freedom of Information Act request to Public Health. She was seeking information on the two previously unnamed healthcare settings cluster where 17 confirmed COVID cases were identified.

"I was actually very offended, well mostly because, the whole purpose of the committee is just to make sure that we get the information out and make sure that the government is being transparent," Armenta said.

Earlier this month KUAM News first asked  Public Health Director Linda DeNorcey to identify the healthcare settings immediately after they released the seven cluster settings.

"Looking at these clusters the most confirmed cases being 17 are from two healthcare setting locations, can you identify these locations as you did with the other group settings? You said the church's name, the United Airlines and others, yeah right now I don't want to name them, but I can tell you time period the first setting is and the date," she said. When asked if there was a reason she wasn't able to name them, she replied, "It's because these are private businesses and I just want to make certain that the anonymity is ensured."

DeNorcey declined to identify the locations but did say at the first setting, there were five positive cases and that business was closed before March 28. As for the other location, she said, "And then the second area is 12 positive cases, that's the best I can give you."

The FOIA response includes an isolation unit spreadsheet from April 17. Patient names were not provided, but the spreadsheet presents five medical clinics that have been infected making for a total of 23 COVID-confirmed cases. This includes 12 cases from Guam Memorial Hospital, two cases from Guam Regional Medical City, six cases from Health Services of the Pacific, two cases from Seventh-Day Adventist Guam Clinic and one case from FHP.

After obtaining this new information Armenta says thank goodness we have the Open Government Law.

"And thank goodness we have the Sunshine Reform Act," she added. "The whole purpose of this is to protect the public and when you give information that is pertinent to the health, and the well being and the lives of the public and part of it is given and another part is not, and you don't even know why... well, these reason are private companies but the other companies you listed were private as well. Now that we have some answers, we can move forward with what needs to be done."