page_title: COVID-19 pandemic in Guam
section_title: April 2020
hierarchical_section_title: COVID-19 pandemic in Guam / Timeline / April 2020
caption_attribution_description: DEDEDO, Guam (April 29, 2020) Guam Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero and Guam Lt. Gov. Joshua F. Tenorio visit Task Force West and the Expeditionary Medical Facility (EMF) onboard Naval Base Guam to view its capabilities. The EMF will provide expanded medical capabilities in support of DoD’s COVID-19 response and will enable forces to be postured to support Guam and the region if a Defense Support of Civil Authorities mission is requested. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Luisito Brooks)
context_page_description: Guam confirmed its first case of the COVID-19 pandemic on March 15, 2020, and the first death on March 22. The Government of Guam ordered the general lockdown of the island in mid-March. Governor Lou Leon Guerrero announced the implementation of a four-step "Pandemic Condition of Readiness" on April 30, 2020. Travelers to Guam from designated high-risk areas must provide a recent negative COVID-19 test or undergo mandatory quarantine in a government-approved facility. Guam moved from PCOR 1 to PCOR 2 on May 10, allowing some business activity with restrictions, and then to PCOR 3 on July 20. A spike in cases in mid-August resulted in the rolling positivity rate for tests to go above 2%, as well as infections for both the Governor and Lieutenant Governor. Guam announced a return to the lockdown conditions of PCOR 1 on August 14 for at least two weeks to control the outbreak.
  As of August 28, 2020, there have been 1,287 confirmed cases, 488 recoveries, and ten deaths. The 1,156 infections and one death from the USS Theodore Roosevelt, which docked at Guam amid its outbreak, are counted separately.
context_section_description: April 4: The government projected that with a 20% reduction in the spread, COVID-19 would kill 3,000 people in five months. The population of Guam is approximately 160,000 – indicating that COVID-19 would kill about 1.8% of the territory in five months. The governor urged the populace to reduce the rate of spread.
  Governor Leon Guerrero announced that residents would be prohibited from driving for non-essential reasons from April 7. Road checkpoints would be manned by police and the Guam National Guard. Residents rushed  to stores and banks before the restrictions.
  The Navy announced that they had secured an agreement to quarantine about 3,000 sailors from USS Theodore Roosevelt in local hotel rooms.
  April 5: The Public Health Emergency was extended until May 5.
  An executive order authorized extra pay for government workers based on their potential exposure to the virus; the maximum of an additional 25% was reserved for law enforcement, health care providers, and others with direct contact with likely infected members of the public.
  GovGuam announced that the military would be contributing 30 ventilators to local efforts.
  April 6: The Guam Department of Education Superintendent officially canceled classes for the remainder of the school year.
  April 7: It was reported that most of Guam's positive cases had tracked epidemiological links to other known cases.
  April 9: GovGuam cleared land for an additional 500 plots at the island's public cemetery in anticipation of future COVID-19 casualties.  GovGuam has also temporarily waived the $500 burial fee at Vicente A. Limtiaco Memorial Cemetery in Piti. The director of the Guam Department of Parks and Recreation stated, "We're all praying the surge doesn’t happen."
  April 10: Governor Leon Guerrero announced the closure of designated road lanes, where traffic will be funneled into chokepoints and National Guardsmen will ask drivers about the purpose of their trip. These can no longer be referred to as "checkpoints," as the Attorney General of Guam has advised that the government does not have the authority to create disease checkpoints.
  April 12: The University of Guam announced that it was delivering almost 300 meals daily to health care workers and volunteers at the Department of Public Health and Social Services sites. The food was donated from various restaurants, wholesalers, organizations, and individuals, with any bulk food prepared by restaurant and catering business Nayon Express, before being delivered by UOG staff.
  April 13: A sailor from USS Theodore Roosevelt died.
  Joint Region Marianas Commander Rear Adm. John Menoni announced that a sailor from USS Theodore Roosevelt had broken quarantine in the local hotel that they were located within and an investigation was ongoing.
  Gov. Leon Guerrero urged the Legislature of Guam to pass bills that would allow her to set a curfew and create checkpoints with penalties.
  April 15: The Department of Defense is building COVID-19 field hospitals on two military properties on Guam: a 150-bed hospital from the US Navy Seabees at the South Finegayan property in Dededo and a 75-bed field hospital from the US Air Force Red Horses on the grounds of Naval Hospital Guam in Agana Heights. Gov. Leon Guerrero reported that Defense Secretary Mark Esper told her that the military would make the field tents and equipment available for use by Guam once their mission in completed.
  April 22: Most airlines extended their flight cancellations until the end of May. United Airlines remained the sole operator during the pandemic, with daily service to Honolulu and thrice-weekly service to Narita.
  Guam Regional Medical City, which was designated for non-COVID-19 care on the island, reported that it was being overwhelmed with serious cases, partially because many patients had delayed preventative care and early treatment during the pandemic. Nurses reported a 300% increase in rapid response calls and the corresponding increase in the number of deaths.
  In response to GovGuam claims that the epidemiological curve had been flattened, a Guam Daily Post editori
caption: Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero and Lt. Gov. Josh Tenorio visiting temporary medical facilities on Naval Base Guam, April 29
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