JIC RELEASE NO. 505 - 121st COVID-19-Related Fatality Reported; Results: 27 of 747 Test Positive for COVID-19; GFD Dispatcher Tests Positive for COVID-19; Exemption Request From Government Quarantine Must Be Made Online - GHS OCD

121st COVID-19-Related Fatality Reported
The Joint Information Center was notified that Guam’s 121st COVID-19-related fatality occurred at the Guam Memorial Hospital (GMH) on December 22, 2020 at approximately 11:16 a.m. The patient was a 66-year-old male with underlying conditions. He was admitted to GMH on December 3, 2020 and a known positive case.

“With each passing, we are reminded that nothing gold can stay. While his parting leaves an island in grief, his memory will live in the hearts of those who knew him. Jeff, Lt. Governor Josh, and I express our deepest condolences and sympathies to his family and friends,” said Governor Lou Leon Guerrero.

Results: 27 New Cases of COVID-19

Twenty-seven (27) new cases of COVID-19 were identified out of 747 tests performed on Monday, December 21, 2020. Five (5) cases were identified through contact tracing. One (1) case reported recent travel history and were identified in quarantine.

To date, there have been a total of 7,238 officially reported cases of COVID-19 with 121 deaths, 449 cases in active isolation and 6,668 not in active isolation.

TODAY’S CAR SCORE

1.6

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. 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.

The following tables provide COVID-19 test results reported to the Joint Information Center on Tuesday, December 22 and reflects results from Monday, December 21:

COVID-19 CASE COUNT	TOTAL	NEW CASES REPORTED TODAY	PAST 7 DAYS
COVID-19 CASES:	7,238	27	89
CONFIRMED CASES:	7,066	25	78
PROBABLE CASES:	172	2	11

COVID-19 TESTING ON GUAM	TOTAL	NEW TESTS REPORTED TODAY	7-DAY % POSITIVE
DIAGNOSTIC TESTS	99,082	747	4.5%
MOLECULAR TESTS	93,870	473	4.6%
ANTIGEN TEST	5,212	274	3.6%
SEROLOGY TESTS	321	0	100%

CASE BREAKDOWN
STATUS	TOTAL	CURRENT ISOLATION LOCATION	TOTAL
COVID-19 Death	121	Hospital	23
Active Isolation	449	Home	391
Not In Isolation	6,668	Isolation Facility	31
Civilian	6,909	Military	4
Military Service Member	329

COVID HOSPITAL CENSUS	Guam Memorial Hospital	Guam Regional Medical City	U.S. Naval Hospital	TOTAL
COVID ADMISSION	20	3	0	23
IN ICU	6	2	0	8
ON VENTILATOR	4	2	0	6

GFD Dispatcher Tests Positive for COVID-19
On Monday, a Guam Fire Department (GFD) Emergency Medical Dispatcher began feeling ill while on duty at the E911 Center. The individual was tested that same day and the results came back positive for COVID-19. As per the Department of Public Health and Social Services (DPHSS) guidelines, mandatory isolation for the employee was required.

After immediate sanitization of the individual’s workstation, the relocation of the E911 Center and personnel to the Guam Fire Department (GFD) headquarters was initiated. This temporary relocation was necessary to allow the GFD decontamination team to conduct a thorough decontamination of the entire space, equipment, and appliances. As of Tuesday morning, all decontamination measures were completed and normal operations have been restored.

Although employees at the E911 Center have been wearing masks and following social distancing guidelines while on duty, other dispatchers on duty with the positive member have been instructed to quarantine at home until testing can be performed on Saturday.

Exemption Request From Government Quarantine Must Be Made Online
DPHSS reminds all critical services workers, essential healthcare professionals, and passengers with medical emergencies seeking restriction of movement or exemptions from the Government of Guam Quarantine Facility following off-island travel to submit their requests online at dphss.guam.gov/quarantine. Requests must be submitted at least 10 days prior to arrival. DPHSS reviews requests in the order in which they are received and will only review requests submitted online.

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. 505 - 121st COVID-19-Related Fatality Reported; Results: 27 of 747 Test Positive for COVID-19; GFD Dispatcher Tests Positive for COVID-19; Exemption Request From Government Quarantine Must Be Made Online