JIC RELEASE NO. 237 - Cumulative Results: Zero Test Positive for COVID-19; DPHSS Issues Guidance Memo 2020-11 Rev. 4; COVID-19 Area Risk (CAR) Score Developed; Expanded COVID-19 Testing Continues

COVID-19 test results are reported from multiple labs at varying times of the day. The Joint Information Center will report cumulative COVID-19 test results once a day, unless unavailable. 

For updated information on COVID-19 cases on Guam, visit the COVID-19 Dashboard and Situation Report at http://dphss.guam.gov/covid-19/.

Cumulative Results
The following breakdown provides cumulative COVID-19 test results for Saturday, July 25, 2020:

1Beginning March 26, 2020 4Beginning April 23, 2020

2Beginning March 31, 2020 5Beginning April 30, 2020

3Beginning April 15, 2020

The Department of Public Health and Social Services (DPHSS) tested 233 individuals for COVID-19 on Friday, July 24, 2020 with conclusive results. Zero tested positive through DPHSS and 233 tested negative for SARS-CoV-2. Results include 80 samples from COVID-19 drive-through testing held in Tamuning and 97 samples from the drive-through testing in Asan. 

To date, there have been a total of 337 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 5 deaths, 244 released from isolation, and 88 active cases. Of those cases, 288 are classified as civilians and 49 are military service members. 

DPHSS Issues Guidance Memo 2020-11 Rev. 4

DPHSS issued Guidance Memo 2020-11 Rev. 4, relative to clarification on the voluntary quarantine requirements for all persons arriving in Guam. As part of Guam’s ongoing effort to contain the introduction and spread of COVID-19, all persons entering Guam by air or sea from Non-Low Risk Areas (“At Risk”) shall be subject to quarantine locations for a period of 14 days. 

Incoming travelers whose point of origin is from a low-risk area and whose stay on Guam is less than 5 nights will not be subject to quarantine. Incoming travelers who will be staying on Guam for more than 5 nights will be required to take a COVID-19 test on the fifth day of their stay, unless they show proof of a negative COVID-19 test within 5 days of their arrival on Guam.

Incoming travelers whose point of origin is from an at-risk area and who are unable to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test within 5 days of their arrival to Guam will be required to quarantine at a government facility for 14 days. Those who can show proof of a negative COVID-19 test that was administered within 5 days of their arrival to Guam can proceed to home/self quarantine for 14 days. Individuals under either form of quarantine will be given the option to test out on day 7, however, priority will be given to those in government quarantine. COVID-19 tests are subject to availability.

Persons who are essential healthcare or other essential workers, or persons at the Guam port of entry (POE) who have traveled to Guam because of an emergency or personal hardship situation as determined by DPHSS are also subject to testing requirements as per protocol. 

ALL incoming travelers, whether coming from a low-risk area or not, are subject to symptom monitoring by DPHSS for the duration of their stay, or 14 days, whichever is greater.

COVID-19 Area Risk (CAR) Score Developed for Quarantine and Testing Requirements
Unique to Guam and developed by Governor Lou Leon Guerrero’s Physicians Advisory Group, the COVID-19 Area Risk (CAR) Score is now the primary tool used to assess the risk of an area’s potential to spread COVID-19 to other states or countries through travel.

The CAR Score was first implemented on July 1, 2020 as part of Guam’s Quarantine Protocol for incoming travelers. The current scoring system factors in three key assessments:

• Case Doubling Time

• Test Positivity Rate

• New Cases Per 100K Population

Case Doubling Time relates to the speed at which coronavirus has the potential to spread exponentially. It measures, as the name would suggest, how many days it takes for the number of coronavirus cases to double. For example, during the first two weeks of Guam’s public health emergency, the Case Doubling Time was 3 days, which meant that our total number of cases on average doubled every 3 days during that two-week period. Currently, our Case Doubling Time over the past two weeks is calculated to be 189 days.

Test Positivity Rate refers to the percentage of people who have tested positive for COVID-19 out of the total number of those who have been tested.

New Cases Per 100K Population is a ratio used to track the rate of COVID-19 cases per capita in a jurisdiction.

To be considered a Low Risk Area, a country, state, or territory must have a CAR score of 5.0 or less. An example of an area that has a CAR score of 5.0 or less may have the following combination of metrics:

• Case Doubling Time >256 Days

• Test Positivity Rate <2%

• New Cases Per 100K Population <2

A jurisdiction can still achieve a favorable CAR score with any of the individual metric values if offset by other scoring factors. For example, 256 Case Doubling Time, 2.5% Test Positivity Rate, but with a lower score of 1.5 New Cases Per 100K Population will still equate to a CAR Score of 5.

The CAR Score uses source data provided by the World Health Organization (W.H.O.), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), New York Times, the COVID Tracking Project, and Our World in Data. 

Data used to determine CAR Scores is reviewed regularly and scores will be reported approximately every 14 days.  

Expanded COVID-19 Testing Continues
DPHSS, in collaboration with the Government of Guam, the Mayors Council of Guam, private, and federal agencies, continues expanded COVID-19 testing. 

Testing is free and open to the public while supplies last. No symptoms are needed to qualify for testing. If your village is not listed, please proceed to a neighboring village for testing. Please bring an ID, if one is available. The expanded testing schedule is as follows:

COVID-19 Drive-Through/Walk-In Testing:

• Tuesday, July 28, 2020, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. at the Talofofo Gym

• Thursday, July 30, 2020, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. at the Umatac Mayor’s Office

• Tuesday, August 4, 2020, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. at the Ordot-Chalan Pago Mayor’s Office (in front of Agueda Johnston Middle School)

If you are experiencing symptoms consistent with COVID-19, please call your health care provider. If a patient does not have a regular health care provider, they can call any of the Community Health Centers or the DPHSS Medical Triage Hotline phone numbers listed below to report symptoms and obtain guidance from clinicians, or call 311 and dial option number 1.

• (671) 480-7859

• (671) 480-6760/3

• (671) 480-7883 

• (671) 687-6170 (ADA Dedicated Number)

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.