Some very encouraging news has been coming out of the RMI over these past couple of months. The border cases identified at the end of October, one active infection of COVID-19, was cleared to re-enter the workforce on Kwajalein. Around the same time, a group of workers from Fiji were repatriated and quarantined using the Arrak facility on Majuro. On 28 November 2020, what seemed like the entire local Fiji community turned out with ukuleles and signs to welcome the 48 passengers who flew into Majuro from Fiji. The group included airline pilots who work for the national airline, two of whom were Marshallese pilots stranded in Fiji while there for training. There were also teams of nurses for Majuro and Ebeye hospitals and educators who work for the Ministry of Education, the College of the Marshall Islands and the University of the South Pacific. Secretary of Health Jack Niedenthal confirmed the news: “mostly all nurses are now in the workforce both in Majuro and on Ebeye.”
Based on the lack of community transmission of COVID-19 in Fiji, the repatriated group did not have to quarantine before flying to Majuro. They exited quarantine protocols after two weeks without incident. While the U.S. Army has repatriated over 300 workers to Kwajalein, this is the first group of essential workers to be repatriated to Majuro. When asked if the borders will open with the distribution of a vaccine, Sec. Niedenthal said on Facebook under a posting announcing the arrival and distribution of vaccines to healthcare workers: “We will continue with the border closed and with the same protocols for repatriation until such a time as we feel we are fully protected.” The next two repatriations are scheduled for January 14 and February 12. The RMI continues to be one of the few Covid-free countries in the world and while other countries are still tracking infections, hospitalizations and deaths the RMI is tracking vaccinations.
As of January 6, 2021, MOHHS has given the first dose of the vaccine to 78% of the 600 people target for vaccination.
Update: The second group of Marshallese citizens scheduled to be repatriated started their 14 days of quarantine on January 1, 2021 at the Pacific Monarch Hotel (PMH) in Hawaii.