JIC RELEASE NO. 459 - Two COVID-19-Related Fatalities Reported; Results: 36 Test Positive for COVID-19;One GDOE Employee Tests Positive for COVID-19 - GHS OCD

Two COVID-19-Related Fatalities Reported
The Joint Information Center was notified that Guam’s 102nd COVID-19-related fatality occurred at the Guam Memorial Hospital (GMH) at approximately 11 a.m. on November 20, 2020. The patient was a 37-year-old male with underlying conditions that were further compounded by COVID-19. He was admitted to GMH on November 6, 2020 and was a known positive case.

Guam’s 103rd COVID-19-related fatality occurred at GMH at approximately 5:05 p.m. on November 20, 2020. The patient was a 51-year-old male with underlying conditions that were further compounded by COVID-19. He was admitted to GMH on October 25, 2020 and tested positive upon admission.

"To their family and friends, Jeff, Lt. Governor Josh, and I send our deepest condolences. May your memories bring you strength during this difficult time," said Governor Lou Leon Guerrero. "Throughout this pandemic, I have heard people compare COVID-19 to the seasonal flu; however, I strongly caution anyone making this comparison. COVID-19 is cold, ruthless, and numbing. It isolates people from those they love and prevents us from comforting each other when it is most needed. We cannot let our resolve falter, and I ask everyone to do what is necessary to save lives."

Special Note: The Department of Public Health and Social Services (DPHSS) has shifted from daily situation reports to weekly reports in order to provide for more comprehensive data analysis. To reflect this, the Joint Information Center (JIC) will report profiles of confirmed cases on a weekly basis only. COVID-19 test results and other key data will continue to be reported on a daily basis. For information on COVID-19 cases, visit http://dphss.guam.gov/covid-19/.

COVID-19 Results
To date, there have been a total of 6,452 officially reported cases of COVID-19 with 103 deaths, 1,919 cases in active isolation and 4,430 not in active isolation.

Of the 36 newly confirmed cases, Four (4) cases were identified through contact tracing. Five (5) cases reported recent travel and were identified in quarantine.

As of November 20, 2020, the COVID Area Risk (CAR) Score is 15.7. The CAR Score accounts for the incidence of new cases, how well current testing identifies these cases, and the rate of spread. An ideal CAR Score for Guam would be 5.0 and below. To learn more about the CAR Score, visit Strive for Five.

The following tables provide COVID-19 test results reported to the JIC on Friday, November 20, 2020 and reflects results from Thursday, November 19, 2020:

COVID-19 CASE COUNT	TOTAL	TODAY	PAST 7 DAYS
COVID-19 CASES:	6,452	36	528
CONFIRMED CASES:	6,331	36	518
PROBABLE CASES:	121	0	10

COVID-19 TESTING ON GUAM	TOTAL	NEW DIAGNOSTIC TESTS REPORTED TODAY	PERCENT POSITIVE
COVID-19 TESTS	81,034	467	8.0%
MOLECULAR TESTS	79,667	400	8.0%
ANTIGEN TEST	1,151	67	10.3%

CASE BREAKDOWN
STATUS	TOTAL	CURRENT ISOLATION LOCATION	TOTAL
COVID-19 Death	103	Hospital	56
Active Isolation	1,919	Home	1,767
Not In Isolation	4,430	Isolation Facility	67
Civilian	6,135	Military	30
Military Service Member	317

COVID HOSPITAL CENSUS	Guam Memorial Hospital	Guam Regional Medical City	U.S. Naval Hospital	TOTAL
COVID ADMISSION	51	2	3	56
IN ICU	11	1	1	13
ON VENTILATOR	5	0	1	6

One GDOE Employee Tests Positive for COVID-19
On Friday, November 20, 2020, the Guam Department of Education (GDOE) confirmed that one GDOE employee from Liguan Elementary School tested positive for COVID-19. This case was identified through contact tracing efforts. 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 campus will be cleaned and disinfected as needed. Hard copy packet and food distribution will not be interrupted.

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 COVID-19 Surveillance Sit Rep 112020

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. 459 - Two COVID-19-Related Fatalities Reported; Results: 36 Test Positive for COVID-19;One GDOE Employee Tests Positive for COVID-19