JIC RELEASE NO. 489 - Two COVID-19-Related Fatalities Reported; Results: 11 of 396 Test Positive for COVID-19;DPHSS COVID-19 Community Mass Testing Continues Tomorrow - GHS OCD

Two COVID-19-Related Fatalities Reported

The Joint Information Center was notified that Guam’s 116th COVID-19-related fatality occurred at approximately 12:15 p.m. on November 19, 2020. The patient was a 85-year-old female with underlying conditions and expired at home in hospice care. She was a known COVID-19 case and was previously admitted to the Guam Memorial Hospital (GMH). The patient’s death certificate was recently amended resulting in late reporting.

Guam’s 117th COVID-19-related fatality occurred at GMH at approximately 2:15 p.m. today. The patient was a 65-year-old female with underlying conditions that were further compounded by COVID-19. She was admitted to GMH on November 18, 2020 and was a known positive case.

“Today, we mourn the loss of two more souls to this virus. Jeff, Lt. Governor Josh, and I express our deepest condolences and sympathies to those who loved them,” said Governor Lou Leon Guerrero. “To the people of Guam, we must remember that this pandemic is far from over. Our actions are just as important now as they were before. Let us not ring in the holiday season with anymore sadness. Wear your mask, watch your distance, and wash your hands.”

Results: 11 New Cases of COVID-19

Eleven (11) new cases of COVID-19 were identified out of 396 tests performed on Friday, December 11, 2020. To date, there have been a total of 7,090 officially reported cases of COVID-19 with 117 deaths, 560 cases in active isolation and 6,413 not in active isolation.

TODAY’S CAR SCORE

1.6

The COVID Area Risk (CAR) Score will be recalculated once reports from all participating labs are up to date. The COVID Area Risk (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 Saturday, December 12 and reflects results from Friday, December 11:

COVID-19 CASE COUNT	TOTAL	NEW CASES REPORTED TODAY	PAST 7 DAYS
COVID-19 CASES:	7,090	11	N/A
CONFIRMED CASES:	6,953	N/A	N/A
PROBABLE CASES:	137	N/A	N/A

COVID HOSPITAL CENSUS	Guam Memorial Hospital	Guam Regional Medical City	U.S. Naval Hospital	TOTAL
COVID ADMISSION	27	6	0	33
IN ICU	6	2	0	8
ON VENTILATOR	5	2	0	7

DPHSS COVID-19 Community Mass Testing Continues Tomorrow

The Department of Public Health and Social Services (DPHSS) continues free COVID-19 community mass testing tomorrow at the Micronesia Mall parking lot, adjacent to the Ross parking garage from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., and the Guam Judicial Center parking lot and the Guam Premier Outlets food court parking lot from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

For the safety of the community and the nurses, only four (4) people per vehicle are allowed to be tested. No symptoms are needed to qualify for testing. Please bring a picture ID.

TESTING SITE	DATE	TIME
Micronesia Mall, Dededo	Sunday, December 13	8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Guam Premier Outlets, Tamuning	Sunday, December 13	9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Guam Judicial Center, Hagåtña	Sunday, December 13	9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

The Northern Region Community Health Center (NRCHC) will remain open for COVID-19 testing by appointment only.

DPHSS will be providing test verification codes to Guam COVID Alert app subscribers who test positive on site. DPHSS encourages everyone to download the Guam COVID Alert app, available on Google Play and Apple App Store. For more information, visit https://guamcovidalert.guam.gov/.

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. 489 - Two COVID-19-Related Fatalities Reported; Results: 11 of 396 Test Positive for COVID-19;DPHSS COVID-19 Community Mass Testing Continues Tomorrow