JIC RELEASE NO. 268 - DPHSS Operations during PCOR1; All Guam DOL Face-to-Face PUA Appointments Postponed during PCOR1; Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) Temporarily Suspended During PCOR1; Guam EPA Service Update - GHS OCD

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/.

DPHSS Operations Updates during PCOR1
During Pandemic Condition of Readiness 1 (PCOR1), the Acting Director of the Department of Public Health and Social Services announces the following updates to the department’s operations, effective August 17, 2020:

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
Pursuant to the current Public Health Emergency Declaration, all WIC clinic locations have temporarily suspended customer service operations. WIC clients will be contacted to reschedule appointments and other services. For questions, please call Tiyan WIC at (671) 475-0294/5/6, and Dededo WIC at (671) 635-7471/2/3.

Office of Vital Statistics (OVS)
The DPHSS Office of Vital Statistics (OVS) continues to process birth, marriage, death certificates, and other vital certificates. OVS is located on the first floor, west side of the Ran-Care Building on 761 South Marine Corps Drive across from National Office Supply in Tamuning. OVS is open Monday through Friday, except on observed holidays, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Clients are seen by appointment only to adhere to social distancing protocols. Face coverings are required before entering. To make an appointment, call (671) 300-9261/2/3/4/5.

Health Professional Licensing Office (HPLO)
The DPHSS Health Professional Licensing Office (HPLO) has suspended services at this time. For emergency licensing inquiries, call (671) 735-7410. HPLO staff will continue to process licenses.

Division of Senior Citizens Operations
The following Division of Senior Citizens services remain in operations and can be reached through the contact numbers provided.

Case Management Services - contact 647-5355
Congregate Drive Thru and Congregate Home-Based- contact 649-9716 or 649-9727
Home-Delivered Meals – contact 649-9716 or 649-9727
In-Home Services – contact 647-5355
Transportation Services for Medical and Hemodialysis- contact 647-7382 or 674-7392
National Family Caregiver Support Program – contact 735-3277
Adult Protective Services – contact 735-7421 or 735-7415
Guma Serenidad 24-hour temporary emergency shelter for abused elderly (60 years of age and over) and adults with a disability (ages 18-59 years old) – contact 632-8853
Guam Medicare Assistance Program (MAP) and State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) for Medicare information – contact 735-7421 or 735-7415

While the following two programs have temporarily suspended customer service operations, program staff can be reached through the contact numbers provided.

Adult Day Care Center continues to assist with Senior Services – contact 922-1843 or 922-1853
Senior Center Operations continues to assist with Senior Services – contact 477-3454

For more information, contact the Division of Senior Citizens at (671) 735-7421 or 735-7415, Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., or send an email to: Biba.SeniorCitizens@dphss.guam.gov.

Division of Environmental Health’s Processing Center Section Remains Open
The Division of Environmental Health’s (DEH) Processing Center Section (PCS), which issues Health Certificates, Sanitary Permits, and Guam Controlled Substances Registration, will remain open during PCOR1. All scheduled Food Safety Health Certificate Training Courses will also be conducted as scheduled. Please refer to your Interim Health Certificate for the date and time of your food safety training course. PCS will continue to operate at its temporary site located in Guam Environmental Public Health Laboratory (mosquito lab), Dededo. The hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Applicants are requested to not congregate along the fence of Guam Environmental Public Health Laboratory or at Dededo Public Health when waiting for PCS to open. Family, friends, or children accompanying the applicant will not be allowed to enter. Applicants who are feeling ill or experiencing any COVID-19-like symptoms are not to enter the premises. Wearing of face masks will be mandatory and enforced. Applicants needing special accommodations must call 300-9579 at least 2 days prior to their scheduled date. Applicants are also encouraged to dress appropriately for the weather as the waiting area will be in the parking lot of Guam Environmental Public Health Laboratory under canopies.

Please follow DEH on Facebook (facebook.com/guamdeh) or Instagram (instagram.com/guam_deh) for up-to-date information. Should you have any questions, please contact DEH at 300-9579 or via email at dphss-deh@dphss.guam.gov.

All Guam DOL Face-to-Face PUA Appointments Postponed during PCOR1
With Guam in PCOR , all in-person appointments with Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, Guam Department of Labor (DOL) staff are postponed for the next two weeks. This is in compliance with the latest guidance from Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero via Executive Order 2020-27. During the temporary shutdown the Guam Department of Labor will temporarily suspend customer service operations at all public library PUA centers which previously assisted claimants in person. This temporary shutdown will continue for the duration the island remains in PCOR 1.

PUA staff will reach out to those with existing in-person appointments to reschedule. Thosewho are rescheduled will be given priority once the libraries reopen. For claimants who need help with outstanding issues on their claims, they may still call 311, option 6. A customer service representative will be available to answer questions and offer assistance 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Those wishing to file a new claim or weekly certifications can continue to do so at home on hireguam.com. The website will not be affected.

All PUA staff will be teleworking and will focus on problem claims during the temporary shutdown, and push through cleared applications for payment.

For more information on the unemployment assistance programs, call 311, option 6, or go to dol.guam.gov. For login issues, email webadmin@dol.guam.gov. For claim or weekly certification issues, email pua.hotline@dol.guam.gov.

Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) Temporarily Suspended During PCOR1
The Motor Vehicle Division with the Department of Revenue and Taxation (DRT) announced that it will temporarily suspend customer service operations due to Executive Order No. 2020-27, Relative to Declaring PCOR 1.

Appointments scheduled between August 17 and August 29, 2020 will be rescheduled once regular office hours resume.

Automatic Extension of Guam Driver’s Licenses and Guam IDs
All Driver’s License late fees will be waived for those driver’s licenses which expired from March 14, 2020 through February 28, 2021 as long as renewal is done by March 1, 2021. Penalties and late fees will apply after March 1, 2021. Guam DRT has also given an automatic extension for those licenses through February 28, 2021 as long as renewal is done by March 1, 2021. The automatic extension letter will be available for download at www.guamtax.com.

Information on Real ID Deadline
On March 26, 2020, Acting U.S. Homeland Security Secretary, Chad Wolf, advised that due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the national emergency declaration, at the direction of President Donald J. Trump, the REAL ID enforcement deadline was extended to October 1, 2021. For more information on the REAL ID Act and REAL ID compliance, please see the U.S. Homeland Security website.

To contact DRT, visit the “Contact Us” section of DRT’s website or email pinadmin@revtax.guam.gov.

Guam EPA Services Update
The Guam Environmental Protection Agency (Guam EPA) will be offering limited services throughout PCOR 1. Any inspections that were scheduled to take place between August 17 – 28, 2020 will be rescheduled. Applications for new permits, permit renewals, and agency clearances will not be accepted during PCOR 1. Permit and applications submitted to the Agency prior to August 17, 2020 will continue to be reviewed. Public access to the Agency administration and operations building is restricted to the public. Agency personnel will be available via email, as employees are teleworking. The Guam EPA email directory can be found by visiting www.epa.guam.gov/agency-directory-2/.

Guam EPA emergency response will remain operational. Permits and clearances will be released through the Guam Business License and Permit Center once normal government of Guam (GovGuam) operations resume. Agency services and availability is subject to change.

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.

X Flooding is a temporary overflowing of water onto land that is normally dry. Flooding may happen with only a few inches of water, or it may cover a house to the rooftop. There are many possible causes of floods including heavy rain, coastal storms and storm surge, waterway overflow from being blocked with debris, or overflow of levees, dams, or waste water systems. Flooding can occur slowly over many days or happen very quickly with little or no warning, called flash floods.

To learn more, visit https://www.ready.gov/floods

Wildfire

Regularly clean the roof and gutters.
Maintain an area approximately 30’ away from you home that is free of anything that will burn, such as wood piles, dried leaves, newspapers and other brush.
Connect garden hoses long enough to reach any area of the home and fill garbage cans, tubs, or other large containers with water.
Review your homeowner's insurance policy and also prepare/update a list of your home's contents.

Fire Weather

Turn on your TV/radio. You’ll get the latest weather updates and emergency instructions.
Know where to go. If you are ordered to evacuate, know the route to take and have plan of where you will go. Check-in with your friends and family.
Keep your car fueled, in good condition, and stocked with emergency supplies and a change of clothes.

Drought

Conserve water

Take shorter showers.

Turn off the water while brushing your teeth or shaving.
Run the washer less frequently and only when you have a full load.
Water your lawn less frequently and do so when the temperature is cooler in the early morning or late evening.
When you run the tap to heat or cool water, keep a pitcher to store the water and use it to water plants.
Avoid washing your car.

Practice fire prevention

Don't set off fireworks when conditions are dry.
Deposit cigarette butts in the proper receptacle to avoid starting a
Pour water over camp fires and backyard fire pits to ensure they are completely out before leaving them unattended.

Follow directions from local officials. If there are restrictions on water usage, be sure to heed them.

To learn more, visit https://www.ready.gov/wildfires and https://www.ready.gov/drought

X
Typhoons/Hurricanes are massive storm systems that form over the water and move toward land. Threats from typhoons/hurricanes include high winds, heavy rainfall, storm surge, coastal and inland flooding, and rip currents.

“Hurricanes” form in the Atlantic Northeast Pacific region and “Typhoons” form in the Northwest Pacific Region. These large storms are call cyclones in other parts of the world.

To learn more, visit https://www.ready.gov/hurricanes.

JIC RELEASE NO. 268 - DPHSS Operations during PCOR1; All Guam DOL Face-to-Face PUA Appointments Postponed during PCOR1; Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) Temporarily Suspended During PCOR1; Guam EPA Service Update