Northern Mariana Islands

The CNMI House of Representatives has a introduced a joint resolution that condemns Japan's plan to dump treated nuclear waste from the destroyed Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean. Introduced by Representaive Sheila Babauta, the joint resolution opposes any other government's actions related to nuclear testing, storage, and waste disposal in the Pacific and reaffirm everyone's fundamental right to a safe and healthy living environment.

The alert level for the Pagan Island volcano has been raised to one with the volcano exhibiting heightened unrest. The Northern Marianas government is advising mariners and the public to avoid the area around Pagan for their safety. The U.S. Geological Survey upgraded the alert level for Pagan following an observation of low-level emissions from the volcano for most of last Wednesday.

With tourism sidelined in the Northern Marianas by the Covid-19 pandemic, hotels in the CNMI are cutting hundreds of jobs. The Hotel Association said its 12 member-hotels are losing $US10 million a month. The association said the hotels had terminated hundreds of employees, including nearly 800 foreign workers on CW-1 visas, who were being sent back to their home countries. Imperial Pacific casino is also cutting its foreign work force.

The Northern Marianas has eased restrictions around the spread of Covid-19 by now allowing restaurants to open for dine-in and pushing a nightly curfew out an hour later. Aside from the change to restaurants, church services can resume, gyms can operate, and the tourist hotspot of Managaha Island is to reopen again. However the new directives still limit gatherings of more than 10 people in the same room.