JIC RELEASE NO. 276 - Saturday, August 22, Community Testing Postponed; DPHSS Shifting its Efforts to Target Testing; Delay in COVID-19 Test Results - 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/.

Saturday, August 22, Community Testing Postponed
Community Testing scheduled for Saturday, August 22, 2020 at the St. Francis Church and School Parking Lot in Yona has been postponed. A new date will be announced at a later time.

The Department of Public Health and Social Services (DPHSS) is reaching its capacity for storage space for specimens and will need more time to be able to run the remaining tests as efficiently as possible. DPHSS assures the public that specimen samples are properly stored and preserved.

DPHSS Shifting its Efforts to Target Testing
Mass testing from April, 25, 2020 to July 30, 2020 by DPHSS resulted in 6,808 people tested and only 42 confirmed COVID-19 positive cases or less than 1%. Of these 42 cases identified during mass screenings, 26 people had a household or community contact, 14 had no known contact with confirmed COVID-19 cases, and 2 were travel related.

Based on this data, DPHSS will be shifting its COVID-19 screening efforts to target testing to focus on high-risk groups, contact tracing, symptomatic patients, travelers, and quarantined individuals.

Delay in COVID-19 Test Results
Due to the large number of samples submitted for COVID-19 testing to the Guam Public Health Laboratory (GPHL), DPHSS is informing patients that there will be a delay in issuing individual test results.

“Getting patients accurate and timely results remains a priority for the department,” said DPHSS Acting Director Art San Agustin. “Patients can expect to receive their results within seven days. The most vulnerable, including health care workers and those who are close contacts to a positive case, are prioritized.”

Patients can opt to receive their COVID-19 test results via DPHSS’ Guam Community Health Center (CHC) secure email service by sending a request to covidresults@dphss.guam.gov. Further instructions will be provided via email to patients before COVID-19 test results are sent.

DPHSS advises the public that the CHC COVID-19 secure email address is utilized to only send test results to patients. If you have other inquiries about COVID-19 testing, you can visit the DPHSS website at dphss.guam.gov or call 311 from a local number and dial option 1.

Patients who have not received their results within seven days may also contact the Northern Region Community Health Center (NRCHC) at 635-7525/6.

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. 276 - Saturday, August 22, Community Testing Postponed; DPHSS Shifting its Efforts to Target Testing; Delay in COVID-19 Test Results