JIC RELEASE NO. 592 - COVID-19-Related Fatalities Reviewed and Adjusted: 132nd, 133rd Fatalities ReportedAdditional 14,200 Moderna and 21,060 Pfizer-BioNTech Vaccines Arrive;1,300 Johnson & Johnson Janssen COVID-19 Vaccines Ordered;

COVID-19-Related Fatalities Reviewed and Adjusted: 132nd, 133rd Fatalities Reported
Additional 14,200 Moderna and 21,060 Pfizer-BioNTech Vaccines Arrive;
1,300 Johnson & Johnson Janssen COVID-19 Vaccines Ordered;
Results: One Tests of 576 Positive for COVID-19
VAPPC to Meet Tuesday, March 9; COVID-19 Mass Vaccination Clinics Scheduled to Resume March 8-13 at UOG Fieldhouse

COVID-19-Related Fatalities Reviewed and Adjusted: 132nd, 133rd Fatalities Reported

During the last two weeks, the Department of Public Health and Social Services (DPHSS) Chief Medical Officer and Territorial Epidemiologist, in coordination with the Acting Chief Medical Examiner, have been conducting a review of all possible COVID-19-related deaths. This coordinated review process has resulted in the classification of two additional deaths as COVID-19-related and has brought Guam’s current COVID-19-related death count to 133.

The 132nd COVID-19-related fatality occurred on January 6, 2021. The patient was a 68-year-old female with underlying health conditions. She was admitted to the Guam Regional Medical City (GRMC) on December 1, 2020, and tested positive upon admission. The patient expired at home after being discharged from GRMC.  

The 133rd COVID-19-related fatality occurred at the Guam Memorial Hospital (GMH) on February 19, 2021. The patient was a 29-year-old female with underlying health conditions. She presented with symptoms and initially tested negative upon admission to GMH. The patient was identified as a confirmed positive case following a confirmatory test performed by the Guam Public Health Laboratory.

“COVID-19 has taken too much from us, and today, our island continues to mourn additional losses due to this virus,” said Governor Lou Leon Guerrero. “Scripture tells us though we may grieve, we will also be shown compassion. To the people of Guam, we cannot lose sight of the progress we have made. We are the best line of defense against COVID-19, and we need to protect each other and keep our island safe.”

At present time, an additional four deaths are being reviewed. This is an ongoing process, and Guam’s COVID-19-related death count may be occasionally adjusted in the future, pending the results of the review. 

Additional 14,200 Moderna and 21,060 Pfizer-BioNTech Vaccines Arrive

A total of 14,200 doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine arrived on Thursday, March 4, and 21,060 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines arrived on Friday, March 5. Together, this completes Guam’s March allocation of 35,260 doses of the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines. 

During the inspection of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines, the lights on the temperature recording device for one of the four boxes was not visible. DPHSS’ Immunization Program has contacted federal partners to report the status and has also contacted the manufacturer for further guidance. In the meantime, the package is being stored properly in ultra cold temperatures using dry ice in a secure location. The remaining three packages have also been properly transferred into the ultra-low temperature (ULT) freezer.

The Moderna vaccines arrived in good condition.

1,300 Johnson & Johnson Janssen COVID-19 Vaccines Ordered

On March 2, DPHSS placed an order for 1,300 doses of the Johnson & Johnson Janssen (J&J/Janssen) COVID-19 vaccine through the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). On February 26, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an Emergency Use Authorization for the J&J/Janssen vaccine. According to the CDC, this vaccine is a single-dose viral vector vaccine that is administered intramuscularly in deltoid muscle in adults 18 years of age or older. There is no estimated time of arrival for the J&J/Janssen COVID-19 vaccines at this time, but more details will be provided once they become available.

Results: One New Case of COVID-19

One (1) new case of COVID-19 was identified out of 576 tests performed on Thursday, March 4.

To date, there have been a total of 7,748 officially reported cases of COVID-19 with 133 deaths, 25 cases in active isolation, and 7,590 not in active isolation.

1The 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 JIC on Friday, March 5, and reflects results from Thursday, March 4:

The following provides preliminary COVID-19 vaccinations reported to the JIC on Friday, March 5, for vaccinations administered from December 17 to March 4:

*Administering second doses of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccinations began on January 4, 2021.

**Administering first doses of Moderna COVID-19 vaccinations began on January 8, 2021.

***Administering second doses of Moderna COVID-19 vaccinations began on January 29, 2021.

^As of February 28, 2021. Total doses administered and allotted doses differ as vaccinators were able to draw additional doses per vial. Additionally, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s February 25, 2021 revision of their Fact Sheet relative to the Pfizer-BioNTech Emergency Use Authorization now states “After dilution, one vial contains 6 doses of 0.3 mL. Vial labels and cartons may state that after dilution, a vial contains 5 doses of 0.3 mL. The information in this Fact Sheet regarding the number of doses per vial after dilution supersedes the number of doses stated on vial labels and cartons.” | ^^Reflects the previous allocation total of 43,500 and last received allocation of 7,800 on February 7, 2021

VAPPC to Meet Tuesday, March 9

The Vaccine and Antiviral Prioritization Policy Committee (VAPPC) will meet on Tuesday, March 9, 2021 at 4 p.m. The committee will continue discussions on expanding eligibility criteria for COVID-19 vaccine and any new COVID-19 vaccine-related developments since they last met on February 22.

COVID-19 Mass Vaccination Clinics Scheduled to Resume March 8-13 at UOG Fieldhouse

In anticipation of vaccine shipment arriving this week, COVID-19 mass vaccination clinics are scheduled to resume Monday, March 8 to Saturday, March 13, 2021, at the UOG Fieldhouse. Clinics are scheduled from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and will only accept those due for their second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine. Eligible residents are advised to schedule an appointment online via Eventbrite at the link provided above or click here. 

If scheduling an appointment is not possible, walk-ins will be accepted at a limited rate of 15 per hour. Walk-ins wishing to avoid longer wait times are discouraged from lining up prior to the 10 a.m. opening, and are asked to expect reasonable delays.

No first doses of either vaccine will be administered. Clinics administering first doses are scheduled to start Tuesday, March 16. 

Upon arrival, individuals 70 years and older will be sent to the front of the line. Please bring a digital or hard copy appointment confirmation, a photo ID, and proof of Guam residency (Guam Driver's License, Guam ID, Green Card, US or FSM Passport, H1B or H2B visas for skilled workers). Those due for their second dose are reminded to bring their COVID-19 immunization card. This ensures quicker processing and proper documentation.

Short-term deferral of the second dose will not decrease the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine, nor will affected individuals be required to restart the vaccination series. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the second dose should be administered as close to the recommended interval as possible. The CDC further states that if it is not feasible to adhere to the recommended interval and a delay in vaccination is unavoidable, the second dose of Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines may be administered up to 6 weeks (42 days) after the first dose.

Enrolled Provider List for COVID-19 Vaccinations

In addition to mass vaccination clinics held at the UOG Fieldhouse, eligible Guam residents may contact any of the participating enrolled providers to receive the COVID-19 vaccine:

Public and private clinics and pharmacies may become enrolled providers after first agreeing to participate in the DPHSS vaccination program. Enrolled providers must meet federal storage and handling requirements for COVID-19 vaccines as established by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), designate staff to complete CDC online training and certification courses, and enroll to report vaccine administration through DPHSS Immunization Registry to meet CDC reporting requirements. Enrolled providers will continue to receive COVID-19 vaccination allocations from DPHSS monthly if the island’s vaccination allocation supply permits and if they continue to uphold these requirements.

GBHWC Crisis Hotline

The Guam Behavioral Health and Wellness Center (GBHWC) has a Crisis Hotline 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.

UOG VACCINATION CLINICS