While the medical community is pushing for a lockdown of the island, Adelup says doing so may be more detrimental to the COVID-19 situation on Guam.
The airport and GovGuam will do whatever is necessary on the Governor’s order to keep residents safe but a lockdown of the island from the world is not the answer, according to Adelup.
The administration’s Director of Policy Carlo Branch says ceasing all flights to Guam could have potentially dangerous effects on the island.
“What the majority has requested is understandable but I don’t know that they fully intend what they have requested. Shutting down all flights to Guam would mean the people that need medicine probably don’t get it flown in. It would mean that people that need certain groceries probably don’t get them and it would mean that medical experts, if you shut down every flight to Guam, probably don’t get here when we need them,” Branch said.
He also reiterated that the Governor doesn’t have the power to shut down the airport even if she wanted to.
“So when the governor denied a total and complete lockdown of all air travel to Guam, it is because she does not want to make the danger greater by denying those tools which would actually help us,” Branch said.
He added that the Governor has made it clear that the situation is continually evolving and as it does, the strategies and tactics utilized to address coronavirus will also change as new information is provided.
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