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Coronavirus
News
- Guam News
- Business
- Weather
- Regional
- National
- World
- Opinion/Editorials
- Community
TV Schedule
- ABC 7
- FOX 6
Watch Live
- PNC Livestream
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NEWS TEAM

GERRY PARTIDO
Digital and Social Media Editor

LEO PAYUMO
Sports Director

Popular News

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@PNCGUAM INSTAGRAM

Activist group sues Air Force for allegedly violat

Activist group sues Air Force for allegedly violating National Environmental Policy Act

By Destiny Cruz

CHamoru activist group Prutehi Litekyan: Save Ritidian (PLSR) has filed a federal lawsuit against the United States Air Force “for its plans to burn and detonate approximately 35,000 pounds of bombs, munitions, and hazardous waste in the open air on Tarague Beach . . . less than 200 feet from the Pacific Ocean,” according to nonprofit organization Earthjustice.

Earthjustice will be representing PLSR in the case, who argues that the Air Force has violated the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

According to David Henkin, an attorney for Earthjustice, the Act “requires all federal agencies, including the military, to take a hard look at the impacts of the activities they want to carry out and equally importantly, look at different ways that they can do what they want to do in a way that would be safer for the environment, safer for the people and the culture here in Guam.”

In an interview with PNC, Henkin alleges that the Air Force had not complied “with all the laws associated with that kind of hazardous activity” when they applied for a Hazardous Waste Management Facility Permit from the Guam Environmental Protection Agency (GEPA).

To read the article in full, go to pncguam.com

Teachers concerned about rising COVID cases in sch

Teachers concerned about rising COVID cases in schools

By Ceejay Pilarca

*Note: The photo of JFKHS does not represent the workplace of the teacher in the story but is a synecdoche for GDOE. Such a decision will go through more consideration in the future.

In a statement to PNC, Jane Roe, a GDOE teacher, says a coworker of hers “caught COVID from her student who was sent back to class by the nurse even though he was coughing and sneezing. The nurse claims she’s using a protocol and cannot send every student who has classic cold symptoms home.”

But the child tested positive for COVID, and Roe and her coworker are convinced it’s from that student. The teachers don’t blame the student or the nurse; they blame leadership, namely the principal of the school, the Superintendent, and even the Governor.

Under GDOE and DPHSS protocol, her coworker, who is a parent to two young children, now has to spend the next 5 days in isolation.

Roe said it’s unclear if teachers will have to burn through their sick leave if they contract COVID from the school. According to Roe, teachers only get 3 days of paid sick leave, and current DPHSS guidance requires that a person who has COVID isolate for a period of 5 days.

“If contact tracing is directly from the school,” said Erika Cruz, GDOE Deputy Superintendent of Assessment & Accountability, “then they will have to file a worker’s comp.”

To read the article in full, go to: https://www.pncguam.com/exclusive-teachers-concerned-about-rising-cases-in-schools/

Omicron is on the island. Now what? By Ceejay Pil

Omicron is on the island. Now what?

By Ceejay Pilarca

At a press meeting, the Department of Public Health and Social Services confirmed the genomic sequencing results from the night before: Omicron is on the island.

Official reports say it could have been on the island as early as December 19.

10 samples were sent to Hawaii toward the last week of December 2021. Doctor Annette David, Lead Epidemiologist of State Epidemiological Outcomes Work Group, states, “7 came back as being positive for the Omicron variant.”

Characteristically, the Omicron variant is more transmissible than all variants thus far because it has, among other things, immune evasion. In other words, it can bypass some COVID treatments, such as vaccines (to some extent) and monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapy.

“Immune evasion for the Omicron variant,” says Dr. David, “in relation to the vaccines, really only refers to neutralizing antibodies, but you do have to keep in mind that when we talk about protection, the immune system harnesses not just the antibodies from the B-cells but also cellular immunity from the T-cells.

“It appears the cellular immunity from the T-cells against Omicron remains effective.”

Moreover, though mRNA vaccines–that is, Pfizer and Moderna–have weakened effectiveness to Omicron, their boosters significantly improve protection. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, mRNA boosters can be up to 90% effective against Omicron.

It is also important to note, says Dr. David, that the primary purpose of vaccines is not to prevent infection but to prevent serious outcomes: severe illness, hospitalization, and death. For those reasons, vaccines and their boosters are powerful tools against COVID-19 and importantly, against the Omicron variant.

For the full article, go to pncguam.com.

Instagram post 18282106732063802

Instagram post 18282106732063802

Executive Chef Karl Lee is transforming the Taste

Executive Chef Karl Lee is transforming the Taste lunch buffet into a complete Chinese food adventure with a roasted Peking duck station, a full line of Chinese entrée favorites, a sampling of Chinese street food and homemade dim sum!

TASTE CHINESE LUNCH BUFFET
Thursday - Saturday
11:30AM - 2:30PM
January 20 - February 5, 2022
Adult: $40 / Child: $20 (ages 6-11)

Club Marriott & Marriott Bonvoy discounts apply.

View Menu: http://west.tn/6184K6Ssi
Book Reservations: http://west.tn/6185K6Ssc
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Confirmed: Omicron is on the island. (DPHSS)

Confirmed: Omicron is on the island. (DPHSS)

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