JIC RELEASE NO. 826 - Three COVID-19-related Fatalities Reported; COVID-19 Updates: Cumulative Test Results: 163 New Cases, 50 Hospitalized; SimpleReport Now Available on Guam; Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Booster Village Clinic Schedule

Three COVID-19-related Fatalities Reported
The Joint Information Center was notified of three COVID-19-related fatalities:

• The 224th COVID-19 related fatality occurred at the Guam Regional Medical City (GRMC) on October 6, 2021. The patient was a 67-year-old male, partially vaccinated, with underlying health conditions. He tested positive on September 25, 2021. 
• The 225th COVID-19 related fatality was pronounced dead on arrival at GRMC on October 13, 2021. The patient was a 62-year-old female, partially vaccinated, with underlying health conditions. She tested positive on October 13. 
• The 226th COVID-19 related fatality occurred at the Guam Regional Medical City (GRMC) on October 19, 2021. The patient was a 53-year-old male, unvaccinated, with underlying health conditions. He tested positive on October 5. 

“This continued loss, sadness, and grief further reminds us how much we are still in this battle,” said Governor Lou Leon Guerrero. “Josh, Jeff, and I continue to pray for the loved ones of those we’ve lost. We also pray for the strength of our community to go on and fight another day against this virus by using the only tools we have; getting vaccinated and taking precautions each day.”

DON’T WAIT UNTIL IT’S TOO LATE. Look for emergency warning signs for COVID-19. Seek emergency medical care immediately or call 911 if you have trouble breathing, persistent pain or pressure in the chest, new confusion, inability to wake or stay awake, or bluish lips or face.

50 Hospitalized for COVID-19

SPECIAL NOTE: Based on today's data, if we were to compare two (2) hypothetical populations of 100,000 people each, vaccinated versus unvaccinated, there would be 18 vaccinated people hospitalized for COVID-19 compared to 220 unvaccinated people hospitalized for COVID- 19. The risk of being hospitalized for COVID-19 is about 12 times higher for the unvaccinated as compared to the vaccinated.

COVID-19 Test Results: 163 New Cases of COVID-19 
Today, the Department of Public Health and Social Services (DPHSS) reported 163 new cases of COVID-19 out of 1,365 tests performed on October 18. Sixty-one (61) cases were identified through contact tracing. To date, there have been a total of 17,154 officially reported cases, 226 deaths, 2,722 cases in active isolation, and 14,206 not in active isolation. The CAR Score is 17.5.

For more information, visit dphss.guam.gov/covid-19-testing. 

Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Booster Village Clinic Schedule
COVID-19 vaccine booster village clinics are being offered by DPHSS in partnership with the Mayors’ Council of Guam for Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine recipients who completed their initial two-dose series at least 6 months ago and are 65 years and older. For appointments, register at tinyurl.com/covidstopswithme or call your village mayor:

Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Booster Shots Available 
Booster Shots are available at the University of Guam Calvo Field House for people who had a normal immune response to the first two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, but because of time, antibody levels are beginning to wane. The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is the only FDA authorized vaccine to administer as a booster. The following groups of people are eligible for a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech if they completed the Pfizer-BioNTech series (first two doses) and it has been 6 months or more since the second dose:

• Anyone age 65+
• Anyone age 18+ with underlying medical conditions
• Anyone 18+ with an elevated risk of COVID-19 exposure and transmission due to their occupation (e.g. healthcare workers, law enforcement, fire, K-12 teachers and support staff, university faculty, daycare employees, food and agriculture workers, manufacturing workers, USPS workers, corrections workers, public transit workers, grocery store workers) or living settings

If eligible, please make your Booster Shot appointment at tinyurl.com/vaxguam. Walk-ins are accepted but should be prepared for longer wait times. 

SimpleReport Now Available on Guam
DPHSS is now reporting COVID-19 test results through SimpleReport, a free, user-friendly web-based app, that remembers required patient information for easier, simpler reporting of COVID-19 test results. Notification of results can be made available by text message delivered to the patient after a verification process.

SimpleReport only requires registration for the first test. A QR code may be issued to patients once they are registered to the SimpleReport system. SimpleReport is only available for rapid testing at this time. SimpleReport is provided at no cost to DPHSS by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and only requires DPHSS onboarding.

Individuals who test negative for COVID-19 will receive a text message through their mobile phones with instructions to verify their identity to view their results. Individuals who test positive for COVID-19 are encouraged to isolate immediately. DPHSS staff will contact the patient to screen for other isolation measures, symptoms, and coordinate for monoclonal antibody therapy treatment, if eligible.

Guam COVID-19 Vaccination Update
As of October 18, 48 additional residents received their first dose in a two-dose series, 34 residents received their dose in the single-dose series, and an additional 136 residents have become fully vaccinated. To date, a total of 122,376 (89.79%) of Guam’s eligible population (residents 12 years and older) is fully vaccinated. This percentage includes 11,769 fully vaccinated residents between the ages of 12 – 17, and 110,607 fully vaccinated adults. 6,470 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine have been administered to eligible residents as either a booster or an additional dose. 163 doses of the Moderna vaccine have been administered as an additional dose to eligible residents.