JIC RELEASE NO. 483 - Results: 13 New Cases of COVID-19; Vaccine and Antiviral Prioritization Policy Committee Meeting - GHS OCD

Thirteen (13) new cases of COVID-19 were identified out of 627 tests performed on Tuesday, December 8, 2020. Four (4) cases were identified through contact tracing. One (1) case reported recent travel and was identified in quarantine.

To date, there have been a total of 7,039 officially reported cases of COVID-19 with 113 deaths, 594 cases in active isolation and 6,332 not in active isolation.

TODAY’S CAR SCORE

1.5

The COVID Risk Area (CAR) Score accounts for the incidence of new cases, how well current testing identifies these cases, and the rate of spread. Given the recent surges, Guam’s first step has been to achieve a sustained CAR Score of 5.0 and below. The ideal long-term goal is to sustain a CAR Score of 2.5 or less, which has been shown to correlate with very low to zero COVID-related hospitalizations and deaths. To learn more about the CAR Score, visit Strive for Five.

The following tables provide COVID-19 test results reported to the Joint Information Center on Wednesday, December 9 and reflects results from Tuesday, December 8:

COVID-19 CASE COUNT	TOTAL	NEW CASES REPORTED TODAY	PAST 7 DAYS
COVID-19 CASES:	7,039	13	119
CONFIRMED CASES:	6,902	12	109
PROBABLE CASES:	137	1	10

COVID-19 TESTING ON GUAM	TOTAL	NEW TESTS REPORTED TODAY	7-DAY % POSITIVE
DIAGNOSTIC TESTS	92,497	627	8.5%
MOLECULAR TESTS	89,058	580	8.6%
ANTIGEN TEST	3,439	47	5.3%
SEROLOGY TESTS	314	4	24.2%

CASE BREAKDOWN
STATUS	TOTAL	CURRENT ISOLATION LOCATION	TOTAL
COVID-19 Death	113	Hospital	37
Active Isolation	594	Home	499
Not In Isolation	6,332	Isolation Facility	49
Civilian	6,715	Military	9
Military Service Member	324

COVID HOSPITAL CENSUS	Guam Memorial Hospital	Guam Regional Medical City	U.S. Naval Hospital	TOTAL
COVID ADMISSION	32	5	0	37
IN ICU	8	2	0	10
ON VENTILATOR	6	2	0	8

Vaccine and Antiviral Prioritization Policy Committee Meeting

The Vaccine and Antiviral Prioritization Policy Committee (VAPPC) will hold its first meeting this Thursday, December 10, 2020 at 2 p.m. in anticipation of the arrival of the first shipment of COVID-19 vaccines to Guam.

The VAPPC is comprised of 24 members from various healthcare-related organizations and fields within the community:

Office of the Governor	Designee	Dr. Luis G. Cruz
Physicians Advisory Group	Designee	Dr. Joleen M. Aguon*
DPHSS DPHSS	Director	Arthur U. San Agustin, MHR
	Medical Director	Dr. Chris Dombrowski (Interim)
	Community Health Centers Medical Director	Dr. Emily Kaiser
	Chief Public Health Officer	Dr. Suzanne Kaneshiro
	Territorially Epidemiologist	Dr. Ann Pobutsky
	Bureau of Communicable Disease Control Administrator	Annette L. Aguon, MPA
	Immunization Program Supervisor	Michele Leon Guerrero (Acting)
	Immunization Program Medical Advisor	Dr. Robert Leon Guerrero*
	Public Health Emergency Preparedness Program’s Strategic National Stockpile Coordinator	Tricia Q. Shimizu, MPA, CM
	Health Professional Licensing Office Administrator	Zennia C. Pecina, MSN, RN
GMHA	Hospital Administrator	Lillian Perez-Posadas, RN
GMHA	Medical Director	Dr. Annie Bordallo
Community Physicians	One representative from the following specialties:
	Internal Medicine	Dr. Janna Manglona
	Family Practice	Dr. Delores Lee
	Emergency Medicine	Dr. Frankie Mendiola
	Infectious Disease	Dr. Edgar M. Magcalas
	Critical Care	Dr. Joleen M. Aguon*
	Pediatrics	Dr. Robert Leon Guerrero*
Health Professional Licensing Boards	Guam Board of Medical Examiners Chairperson	Dr. Nathaniel Berg
	Guam Board of Nurse Examiners Chairperson	Bernadette S. Santos, MPA, BSN, RN
	Guam Board of Examiners for Pharmacy Chairperson	Thomas J. Caruso, BSP
	Guam Board of Allied Health Examiners Chairperson	Dr. Mamie Balajadia

*Serves dual role

The VAPPC will primarily be responsible for advising the Department of Public Health and Social Services (DPHSS) on identifying critical population groups who will receive the first round of vaccines and other COVID-19 vaccine-related matters.

During its first meeting, the VAPPC will discuss the recommendations received from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, high risk groups, review current available information, and schedule its next meeting and other COVID-19 vaccine-related issues.

At the conclusion of the VAPPC meeting on Thursday, DPHSS will release information summarizing the topics discussed.

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.

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. 483 - Results: 13 New Cases of COVID-19; Vaccine and Antiviral Prioritization Policy Committee Meeting