JIC RELEASE NO. 496 - Results: 15 of 523 Test Positive for COVID-19; GPD Trained to Test for COVID-19; One GDOE Employee Tests Positive for COVID-19 - GHS OCD

Results: 15 New Cases of COVID-19

Fifteen (15) new cases of COVID-19 were identified out of 523 tests performed on Wednesday, December 16, 2020. No new cases were identified through contact tracing. Two (2) cases reported recent travel history and were identified in quarantine.

To date, there have been a total of 7,183 officially reported cases of COVID-19 with 119 deaths, 484 cases in active isolation and 6,580 not in active isolation.

TODAY’S CAR SCORE

1.7

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 Thursday, December 17 and reflects results from Wednesday, December 16:

COVID-19 CASE COUNT	TOTAL	NEW CASES REPORTED TODAY	PAST 7 DAYS
COVID-19 CASES:	7,183	15	120
CONFIRMED CASES:	7,017	13	91
PROBABLE CASES:	166	2	29

COVID-19 TESTING ON GUAM	TOTAL	NEW TESTS REPORTED TODAY	7-DAY % POSITIVE
DIAGNOSTIC TESTS	97,035	523	8.3%
MOLECULAR TESTS	92,186	435	8.5%
ANTIGEN TEST	4,849	88	4.7%
SEROLOGY TESTS	321	0	31.0%

CASE BREAKDOWN
STATUS	TOTAL	CURRENT ISOLATION LOCATION	TOTAL
COVID-19 Death	119	Hospital	28
Active Isolation	484	Home	413
Not In Isolation	6,580	Isolation Facility	33
Civilian	6,854	Military	10
Military Service Member	329

COVID HOSPITAL CENSUS	Guam Memorial Hospital	Guam Regional Medical City	U.S. Naval Hospital	TOTAL
COVID ADMISSION	25	5	0	30
IN ICU	8	1	0	9
ON VENTILATOR	5	1	0	6

GPD Trained to Test for COVID-19
Over the last three days, the Department of Public Health and Social Services (DPHSS) provided ABBOTT ID NOW and ABBOTT BINAX NOW training to members of the Guam Police Department (GPD). Training consisted of how to safely and properly administer COVID-19 tests and the safe donning and doffing of the required Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). This will allow for GPD personnel to administer COVID-19 tests to arrestees before confinement at the Department of Corrections (DOC) and before minors are confined at the Department of Youth Affairs (DYA). Newly trained personnel will also be able to administer tests to asymptomatic personnel or personnel who may have been in close contact with known COVID-19 positive individuals.

One GDOE Employee Tests Positive for COVID-19
On Thursday, December 17, 2020, the Guam Department of Education (GDOE) confirmed that one GDOE employee from the central offices in Tiyan tested positive for COVID-19. The GDOE is working closely with DPHSS to conduct contact tracing and any close contacts of the confirmed case will be contacted directly. Areas of the offices will be cleaned and disinfected as needed.

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 COVID19 VACCINE FAQs

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. 496 - Results: 15 of 523 Test Positive for COVID-19; GPD Trained to Test for COVID-19; One GDOE Employee Tests Positive for COVID-19