JIC RELEASE NO. 354 - DPHSS Issues Guidance Memo 2020-11 Rev9

For the latest updates on COVID-19 cases, visit the COVID-19 Dashboard and Situation Report at http://dphss.guam.gov/covid-19/. The COVID-19 Dashboard is updated on business days.

DPHSS Issues Guidance Memo 2020-11 Rev9
The Department of Public Health and Social Services (DPHSS) has issued Guidance Memo 2020-11 Rev9 regarding additional guidance relative to Executive Order 2020-33.

As part of Guam’s ongoing effort to contain the spread of COVID-19, all individuals

entering Guam by air or sea shall be subject to a 14-day quarantine at a Government of Guam

Quarantine Facility. If an individual qualifies for and is granted an exemption from quarantine at the Government of Guam Quarantine Facility, they will be allowed to quarantine at home or at an approved rental lodging.

This Guidance Memo includes the following updates from previous quarantine protocols: 

• Clarifies quarantine for unaccompanied minors 

  • A minor is defined as a person under 18, which is the age of majority and legally demarcates childhood from adulthood. 

  • An unaccompanied minor shall complete a 14-day quarantine period at home or at a rental lodging identified by the parent, legal guardian, or authorized representative who presents at the airport to assume responsibility for the minor. 

  • The parent, legal guardian, or authorized representative must meet the minor at the airport and provide photo identification in order to receive the minor. The parent, legal guardian, or authorized representative will be requested to sign a Voluntary Quarantine Acknowledgement form indicating their willingness to comply with the quarantine requirements on behalf of the minor. 

  • In the event that an unaccompanied minor is not received at the airport by a parent, legal guardian, or authorized representative in a timely manner, Child Protective Services will be notified.

  • DPHSS will facilitate testing for minors arriving in Guam without a COVID-19 negative test result.

• In addition to the Voluntary Quarantine Acknowledgement form, all incoming travelers will be provided with a document informing them that Guam is currently under a Public Health Emergency and that they are being asked to sign a Voluntary Quarantine Acknowledgement Form. The form also includes information about what happens if they refuse to sign the Voluntary Quarantine Acknowledgement Form. 

  • Should travelers refuse to sign the Voluntary Quarantine Acknowledgement form, they will be subject to Involuntary Quarantine, issued a Directive for Temporary Quarantine, be provided with a copy of 10 GCA Chapter 19 Article 6 and Definitions, and be informed of their right to legal representation.

• A traveler may be granted an exemption from quarantine at a Government of Guam facility if they qualify under the following categories: Critical Service Worker (CSW) with DPHSS Endorsement Letter, Essential Healthcare Professional (EHP) with DPHSS Endorsement Letter, or Medical Referral client. 

  • If a traveler is granted an exemption by DPHSS, they will be required to obtain and present a negative COVID-19 test result collected within 5 days of arrival to Guam. If approved, the traveler will be required to adhere to strict requirements, including Restriction of Movement (ROM), during home quarantine or at an approved rental lodging. 

• Spouses/Dependents/Minors traveling with CSWs or EHPs

  • To qualify for home quarantine at an approved rental lodging, accompanying spouses and dependents of CSWs or EHPs must arrive on the same flight and present an acceptable COVID-19 negative test result collected within 5 days of arrival to Guam.

  • Accompanying spouses and dependents arriving without an acceptable COVID-19 negative test result will be transported to the Government of Guam Quarantine Facility, where they will remain until they receive a negative COVID-19 test result, subject to availability, or be subject to quarantine for a period of 14 days. 

  • In the event the CSW or EHP is traveling with dependents who are minors and without a spouse, the minor will be allowed to quarantine alongside the CSW or EHP. DPHSS will facilitate testing for minors arriving in Guam without a COVID-19 negative test result.

• Emergency/Hardship (EH) Status Requests

  • A traveler may request for EH status due to the following: a family emergency; a serious, acute medical condition; a behavioral health condition; a recent medical procedure or surgery.  

  • If a traveler is granted EH status by DPHSS, they will be required to go directly to a Government of Guam Quarantine Facility; assessed by a Medical, Behavioral Health, or Public Health staff at the Government of Guam Quarantine Facility to determine necessary services, which may include an option to leave quarantine on a time-limited basis for a specific EH event/activity or transfer to home quarantine.

  • If the traveler is approved to leave quarantine on a time-limited basis for a specific EH event/activity or transfer to home quarantine, they will be required to adhere to strict requirements. 

• While the Government of Guam has always incurred the costs of quarantine, DPHSS Guidance Memo 2020-11 Rev9 clarifies that individual travelers do not pay for quarantine at a Government of Guam facility. 

Compliance with voluntary quarantine regardless of location is subject to monitoring, verification, and enforcement. The knowing and intentional failure to follow any part of this order constitutes a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000 or imprisonment of not more than one year or both (10 GCA, Chapter 19, §19604 (c) Cooperation).

To request for EH status, or an exemption as a CSW or EHP, please visit the DPHSS website at dphss.guam.gov/covid-19.

DPHSS Guidance Memo 2020-11 Rev9 can be viewed in its entirety at dphss.guam.gov/covid-19. For questions or concerns regarding DPHSS Guidance Memo 2020-11 Rev9, please send an email to dphss_quarantine@dphss.guam.gov.
 

For the latest information on COVID-19, visit dphss.guam.gov or guamrecovery.com. For inquiries on COVID-19, contact 311 through a local number, or call the Joint Information Center at (671) 478-0208/09/10.