JIC RELEASE NO. 327 - Twenty-sixth COVID-19-Related Fatality Reported; GBHWC Crisis Hotline Available 24/7 - GHS OCD

The Joint Information Center was notified that Guam’s twenty-sixth COVID-19-related fatality occurred at the U.S. Naval Hospital (USNH) Guam last night at approximately 10 p.m. (ChST). The patient was a 10-year-old boy and had underlying health conditions. He tested positive for COVID-19 on September 3, 2020. He is Guam’s youngest COVID-19-related fatality to date.

“As your Governor, I have made difficult announcements with each life we lose to COVID-19. With the passing of this 10-year-old boy, this is the hardest one I have had to make. This is news no parent ever wants to receive. He was just a child, with a full life ahead of him. There is no pain deeper than losing a child. To his family, friends, and everyone who loved and knew him, Jeff, Lt. Governor Josh, and I send our deepest condolences and sympathies,” said Governor Lou Leon Guerrero. “With his passing, we are forced to see the reality that COVID-19 does not spare even the most innocent among us. None of us are immune to this virus, and we need to do whatever it takes to ensure we have no more days of grief.”

GBHWC Crisis Hotline Available 24/7

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 licensed experienced providers available, 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. 327 - Twenty-sixth COVID-19-Related Fatality Reported; GBHWC Crisis Hotline Available 24/7