JIC RELEASE NO. 425 - 79th COVID-19 Fatality Reported; Blu-Med Tent Assembled to Increase GMH Bed Capacity; Cumulative Results: 79 Test Positive for COVID-19; Profiles of Confirmed Cases; 12 GDOE Employees Test Positive for COVID-19 - GHS OCD

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

79th COVID-19 Fatality Reported
The Joint Information Center was notified that Guam’s 79th COVID-19-related fatality occurred at the Guam Memorial Hospital (GMH) at approximately 12:38 p.m. The patient was a 63-year-old male with underlying conditions that were further compounded COVID-19. He was admitted to GMH on October 24 after testing positive at the Guam Regional Medical City (GRMC).

“To those who loved him, please accept our deepest condolences and sympathies. You do not bear this burden alone—you are joined in grief by this island,” said Governor Lou Leon Guerrero. “Just as the Thessalonians, I do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death because of this virus. Days of mourning are not set in stone—we have the ability to prevent them. Do what you must, and we will see the end to these difficult times.”

Blu-Med Tent Assembled to Increase GMH Bed Capacity
The Guam Memorial Hospital (GMH) has increased bed capacity with one Blu-Med Tent and ten Fast Beds to address the increase in hospitalizations resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, the first of the Blu-Med Tents was assembled outside the GMH Emergency Room by airmen from the Guam National Guard’s 254th RED HORSE Squadron. Commonly used for disaster response, the tent has capabilities similar to an expedient field hospital, including negative pressure to maintain a sanitary working environment ideal for treating COVID-19 patients.

The Government of Guam currently has a total of ten Blu-Med Tents ready to deploy as needed. The tents were purchased with Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding and arrived earlier this week in anticipation of increased hospitalizations.

Cumulative Results
To date, there have been a total of 4,628 officially reported cases of COVID-19 with 79 deaths, 1,883 cases in active isolation and 2,666 not in active isolation.

Of the 79 new cases, 19 cases were identified through contact tracing. Twelve cases have reported recent travel from the United States and were identified in quarantine.

The following breakdown provides cumulative COVID-19 test results reported to the Joint Information Center on Friday, October 30 and reflects results from Thursday, October 29:

Laboratory	New Cases Reported on Friday, October 30	Samples Tested on Thursday, October 29	Total Negative Tests (March 12 - October 29)	Total Reported Cases (March 12 - October 30, 2020)
Department of Public Health & Social Services (DPHSS) Guam Public Health Laboratory (GPHL)	43	271	32,773	2,395
Department of Defense (DoD)	4	61	7,940	549
Diagnostic Laboratory Services (DLS)	11	150	8,740	733
Guam Memorial Hospital Authority (GMHA) Laboratory	5	39	5,772	334
Guam National Guard (GUNG) Laboratory	0	0	17	0
Guam Regional Medical City (GRMC) Laboratory	6	50	4,119	247
Private Clinics	6	66	2,680	319
Other Laboratories	0	N/A	N/A	2
Probable Case	4	7	360	49
AS OF 7:55 PM, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2020	Total Confirmed: 79	Total Samples Tested: 644	Total Negative Tests: 62,401	Total COVID-19 Cases: 4,628

Profiles of Confirmed Cases

MEDICAL STATUS

GENDER

RESIDENCE

TRAVEL HISTORY2

AGE GROUP

EPI LINK TO COVID-19 CASE4

Stable: 1,791

Hospitalized1:

GMH: 83

ICU: 12
Ventilator: 3

GRMC: 6

ICU: 2

Ventilator: 1

USNH: 3
ICU: 0

Released: 2,666

Deaths: 79

Female: 2,169

Male: 2,459

North: 2,504

Central: 1,248

South: 586

Homeless: 04

Non-resident: 64

U.S.: 170

Dubai: 02

Japan: 01

Mexico: 01

Philippines: 28

Singapore: 01

Identified in Quarantine3: 171

90+: 10

80-89: 37

70-79: 132

60-69: 381

50-59: 657

40-49: 681

30-39: 861

20-29: 1,072

10-19: 500

0-9: 297

Household: 1,269

Community: 801

Workplace: 408

Healthcare: 66

1Hospitalization rate is based on intake numbers reported to the JIC. This number may be subject to change.

2Some cases traveled to more than one country

3Includes home/self-quarantine and quarantine in a Government of Guam facility

4 Some cases have more than one link to other COVID-19 cases.

12 GDOE Employees Test Positive for COVID-19
Over the past week, the Guam Department of Education (GDOE) received notification that 12 GDOE employees tested positive for COVID-19. L.P. Untalan Middle School, Talofofo Elementary School, Finegayan Elementary School, and M.U. Lujan Elementary School each identified one positive case. F.B. Leon Guerrero Middle School, Okkodo High School, Marcial Sablan Elementary School, and Price Elementary School each identified two cases.

The GDOE is working closely with DPHSS to conduct contact tracing and any close contacts of the confirmed cases will be contacted directly. Areas of the campuses have been cleaned and disinfected as needed. Hard copy packet and food distribution will not be interrupted.

GBHWC Crisis Hotline
The Guam Behavioral Health and Wellness Center (GBHWC) has a Crisis Hotline that is available 24/7 at (671) 647-8833/4. For those feeling anxious, stressed, overwhelmed or are needing to talk to someone, GBHWC has experienced providers available and ready to assist the community with any heightened stress and anxiety experienced as a result of COVID-19.

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.

Click Here to View COVID-19 Surveillance Sit Rep 103020

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. 425 - 79th COVID-19 Fatality Reported; Blu-Med Tent Assembled to Increase GMH Bed Capacity; Cumulative Results: 79 Test Positive for COVID-19; Profiles of Confirmed Cases; 12 GDOE Employees Test Positive for COVID-19