JIC RELEASE NO. 910 - Three COVID-19-related Fatalities Reported; Cumulative COVID-19 Test Results: 71 New Cases, 8 Hospitalized; After-School COVID-19 Vaccination Clinics Begin; Cue COVID-19 Test Kits to be Used at Tiyan Outreach; Pfizer-BioNTech Vaccine

Three COVID-19-related Fatalities Reported
Today, the Joint Information Center was notified of three (3) COVID-19-related fatalities:

• The 271st COVID-19-related fatality was pronounced dead on arrival at the Guam Memorial Hospital (GMH) on December 24, 2021. The patient was a 76-year-old female, vaccinated with underlying health conditions. She tested positive on December 24, 2021.

• The 272nd COVID-19-related fatality was pronounced dead on arrival at the Guam Regional Medical City (GRMC) on December 31, 2021. The patient was a 58-year-old male, vaccinated. He tested positive on December 31, 2021.

• The 273rd COVID-19-related fatality occurred at GMH on January 1, 2022. The patient was a 47-year-old female, vaccinated with underlying health conditions. She tested positive on January 2, 2022.

“Jeff, Josh, and I offer our prayers and send our sympathies to the families of the recently departed,” said Governor Lou Leon Guerrero. “With each passing, we are reminded once again about how precious life is and how in a moment’s notice it can all be taken away. Show your loved ones how much you love them every chance you get. Let’s lift each other up as we look toward a new year and hope for brighter days ahead.”

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 need 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.

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. Individuals who are sick are advised to:

• Stay home, except to seek medical care. Call ahead before visiting the clinic/doctor.

• Monitor for symptoms of COVID-19 including fever, cough, and shortness of breath, fatigue, body aches, headaches, loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion, nausea and/or diarrhea.

• Get tested if you have symptoms of COVID-19. While waiting for test results, you should stay away from others, including staying apart from those living in your household.

Eight 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 4 vaccinated people hospitalized for COVID-19 compared to 17 unvaccinated people hospitalized for COVID-19. The risk of being hospitalized for COVID-19 is about 4 times higher for the unvaccinated as compared to the vaccinated. *Estimated population is based on DPHSS Immunization Program analysis of 2020 Census data. Updates are expected pending further Census 2020 data breakdown.

Cumulative COVID-19 Test Results: 71 New Cases of COVID-19 January 1 – January 3
Today, the Department of Public Health and Social Services (DPHSS) reported seven (7) new cases of COVID-19 from 267 specimens analyzed on January 2, 2022. An additional 64 cases were also reported today as a result of complete analysis and case submissions from other clinics for preliminary COVID-19 test results reported January 1 – 2, 2022. Official case counts for the past weekend results are as follows:

• 64 of 578 test positive for COVID-19 (11 cases previously reported on January 1, 2022). Eight (8) cases were identified through contact tracing.

• 11 of 54 test positive for COVID-19 (no cases previously reported on January 2, 2022).

To date, there have been a total of 19,689 officially reported cases, 273 deaths, 410 cases in active isolation, and 19,006 not in active isolation. The CAR Score is 9.0.

After-school COVID-19 Vaccination Clinics Begin
DPHSS, in partnership with the Guam Department of Education (GDOE), will begin after-school vaccination clinics open to the community this week. All eligible students, with parental consent, are encouraged to get vaccinated against COVID-19. 

Cue COVID-19 Test Kits to be Used at Tiyan Outreach
Beginning Tuesday, January 4, 2022, DPHSS will be administering the Cue COVID-19 Test Kits at the Community COVID-19 test site at the old carnival ground in Tiyan, Barrigada. Abbott BinaxNOW test kits will no longer be used at the community outreach site. This is being done as part of efforts to streamline operations. COVID-19 test results will also be made available via SimpleReport, a free, user-friendly web-based app, that delivers results through a text message notification system. Once registered in the system, patient information will be stored for future testing. To pre-register for Simple Report, visit tinyurl.com/guamtesting. 

Fill out a COVID-19 Testing Patient Assessment Form ahead of time, available at dphss.guam.gov/covid-19-testing. Individuals waiting for COVID-19 test results must quarantine at home until cleared by DPHSS. Test results are available via email by sending a request to covidresults@dphss.guam.gov.

Pfizer-BioNTech Vaccines Arrived Friday
A shipment of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines arrived on Friday, December 31, 2021. DPHSS’ Immunization Program received a total of 2,340. The Immunization Program has been placing regular orders of COVID-19 vaccines and monitoring their shipment for arrival to Guam. 

COVID-19 Booster Shot Eligibility 
Adolescents 16 and 17 years of age who received a Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine (first two doses) are eligible for a single booster shot at least 6 months or more after their initial series. At this time, only the Pfizer-BioNTech booster vaccine is authorized and recommended for adolescents aged 16 and 17.

Guam COVID-19 Vaccination Update 
As of December 30, a total of 129,550 of Guam’s eligible population (residents 5 years and older) is fully vaccinated. This total includes 12,591 residents 12 – 17 years old. 4,866 residents 5 – 11 years old received their first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech two dose series. 2,887 residents 5 – 11 years old have completed their two-dose series. An additional 339 residents received their booster shots and a total of 39,593 booster shots have been administered to eligible residents since September 29, 2021.