JIC RELEASE NO. 517 - COVID-19 Vaccination Update; Community Testing Resumes January 4 & 5Temporary Increase in SNAP Allotments Effective January 1, 2021

The following table provides COVID-19 vaccinations reported to the Joint Information Center on Thursday, December 31 for vaccinations administered from December 17 to December 30:

*Healthcare agencies are required to report certain adverse events or reactions to vaccines to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System. VAERS is an early warning system to detect possible safety problems in U.S.-licensed vaccines, and is co-managed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Community Testing Resumes January 4 & 5 at Guam Community College
The Department of Public Health and Social Services (DPHSS), in collaboration with the Guam Community College (GCC), Mayors’ Council of Guam, Guam National Guard, Department of Public Works, Guam Police Department, Guam Fire Department, University of Guam School of Nursing and Health Sciences, and other Government of Guam and Federal Agencies, will resume community testing next week Monday and Tuesday, January 4 and 5, 2021, at GCC from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. The first hour on both days, from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m., will be reserved for GCC students, faculty and staff only.

DPHSS will offer up to 300 tests per day on a first-come, first-served basis. 

For the safety of the community and the nurses, only four (4) people per vehicle are allowed to be tested. No symptoms are needed to qualify for testing. Please bring a picture ID.

The Northern Region Community Health Center (NRCHC) will remain open for COVID-19 testing by appointment only and can be contacted by calling 635-7525/6.

Temporary Increase in SNAP Allotments Effective January 1, 2021 

DPHSS announces that effective January 1, 2021 through June 30, 2021, the following Supplemental Assistance Nutrition Program (SNAP) maximum allotments are as follows:

                     Household Size                        Maximum Allotments

                           1                                                 $345

                           2                                                 $634

                           3                                                 $908

                           4                                                 $1,153

                           5                                                $1,369

                           6                                                $1,643

                           7                                                $1,816

                           8                                                $2,075

             Each additional person                            $259

The temporary increase was authorized by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 signed into law by President Trump on December 27, 2020.

The SNAP maximum allotments will revert back to the FY 2021 benefit allotments on July 1, 2021 to September 30, 2021 as provided in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Memorandum dated July 29, 2020.      

For additional information, please contact the numbers below:

• BES North (Dededo) at 635-7488/635-7484/635-7439/635-7430
• BES Central (RAN-Care) at 300-8853/300-8854/300-8850/300-8867

GBHWC Crisis Hotline
The Guam Behavioral Health and Wellness Center (GBHWC) has a Crisis Hotline that is available 24/7 at (671) 647-8833/4. For those feeling anxious, stressed, overwhelmed or are needing to talk to someone, GBHWC has experienced providers available and ready to assist the community with any heightened stress and anxiety experienced as a result of COVID-19.

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.