Congressman Michael San Nicolas has been admitted to the Guam Memorial Hospital hours after being housed at the government of Guam's isolation facility on Thursday.  The congressman from his bed at GMH spoke with The Link team this morning following allegations by the governor's Chief Policy Advisor that protocol appeared to have been bypassed when he was allowed admission into the government isolation facility.

It started on Facebook, as San Nicolas said, "So out of abundance, caution, they're suggesting that I continue to be monitored and I isolate at this time."

And it led to face time with KUAM on The Link. "I wasn't even at the BayView for four hours when doctors admitted me into GMH," he recalled. Congressman San Nicolas says he volunteered to be isolated at the government isolation facility on Thursday after his doctor diagnosed him with viral pneumonia. Although the Congressman tested negative for COVID, his doctor diagnosed him as a clinical COVID-19 patient.

"I'm very clearly unwell they're trying to figure out the COVID diagnosis situation but my doctor Dr. [Hoa] Nguyen, who is [Governor] Lou's COVID chief, is the one that old me that I need to be in isolation and monitored," San Nicolas said. "And the only place that you get isolation and monitoring that doesn't take up a bed at the hospital is the isolation facility, and so I made the choice to try to be in the isolation facility, so I'm not inundating the hospital."

But the governor's chief policy advisor says it appears that protocols may have been violated to allow San Nicolas into the government facility. Branch says the congressman called his sister-in-law who is a nurse assigned to the government facility. She endorsed his admission without proper procedures being followed or documents from his doctor being submitted.

"Even in the case that a physician might believe you to be a clinical positive that is not the sole discussion of the physician whoever that might be that is the public health determination because that is a public health facility and so that determination should have been made by those in the Public Health regime," Branch said. "So that (A) the sanctity of the isolation unit could have been protected and (S) Congressman San Nicolas does not place himself in any undue harm and so that (C) his sister-in-law would not have been subject to questions later and the legitimacy of her action."

San Nicolas admits he did call his sister in law, but all protocols were followed. He was transported to the facility by the Guam National Guard, when he arrived at the isolation facility he filled out all the necessary paperwork.

"And so what - because there's an election I can't listen to my doctor? I can't call for help? I can't be seen by medical professionals? Is it wrong now that I'm in GMH and can Carlo Branch call in and say it's wrong and say that I'm at GMH because I didn't get here under the proper protocol? What's wrong with these people? Can somebody on Guam tell me what's wrong with these people?" San Nicolas said.

Branch responded to San Nicolas's claims.

"I don't think this is anything different or political, and with all due respect to my friend Congressman San Nicolas, I hope he gets better," he said. "But this is nothing to do with politics. The only reason we were aware of the situation is because he decided to put it on Facebook."

The congressman meanwhile is not only sick at GMH clinically-diagnosed COVID patient, but sick of the politics.

San Nicolas said, "So I don't understand - when is enough enough with these people? When is enough enough with these people?"

Adelup this afternoon told KUAM that the congressman's doctor may have ordered him to isolate but not specifically to check-in at the GovGuam isolation facility.

KUAM reached out to his physician, Dr. Hoa Nguyen, who responded that it does not matter where the congressman isolates because it is his decision and choice as to where he feels safe. Dr. Hoa adds the "politics needs to be set aside."