HAGATNA, 22 OCTOBER 2020 (THE GUAM DAILY POST) — Guam recorded one of its highest number of newly confirmed cases in a day – 130 – on Tuesday as the local public health department, private clinics, hospitals and a privately run laboratory ramped up testing.
The new cases were from a total of 957 tests, according to the Joint Information Centre. That’s a positivity rate of 13.5%.
Eighty of the cases tested positive at the Guam Public Health Laboratory.
The latest daily results also covered the third day of door-to-door testing at the Zero Down and Gill-Baza subdivisions in Yigo. Of the 131 samples tested from the Yigo subdivisions, 36 or 27% were positive for COVID-19. For the two subdivisions, the positive rate has been in the high double-digits.
In the most recent seven-day total, ending on Tuesday, about 15% of the people who got tested for COVID turned out positive, according to Department of Public Health and Social Services data.
Over the last seven days, Guam has had 607 new cases.
The latest seven-day total accounts for 15.6% of the 3,886 total COVID cases over the last eight months, Public Health data showed.
Twenty-two cases were identified through contact tracing. Five people reported recent travel – three from the U.S. mainland and two from the Philippines.
Guam also continues to see high hospitalisation numbers for COVID patients, which are nearly double the numbers from more than a month ago.
Guam Memorial Hospital had 59 COVID patients as of Tuesday. Thirteen were in the intensive care unit and five patients needed ventilators to help them breathe.
Guam Regional Medical City had seven hospitalised patients. One was in the ICU.
Naval Hospital Guam had four patients. Three were in the ICU.
A 72-year-old man who was admitted to GRMC on Tuesday morning tested positive for COVID-19, according to the Joint Information Centre (JIC). The 67th fatality was not yet part of Public Health data.
CPR was performed while the patient was en route to GRMC where he was pronounced dead.
“To those who loved him, please know that you are not alone in your mourning. On behalf of Jeff, Lt. Gov. Josh and our entire island, please accept our heartfelt sympathies and condolences during this most difficult time,” said Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero.
“While I pray that no more families will have to receive this painful call, I also know that we all must do what is necessary to prevent further deaths from occurring. Wearing our face masks and practicing social distancing are the best tools we have to stop the spread.”
Two Guam Department of Education employees tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday.
One case was reported at Jose Rios Middle School and another at Ordot Chalan Pago Elementary School. Both cases were identified through contact tracing efforts. Their close contacts were also being traced.
Areas of both campuses have been cleaned and disinfected as needed, according to JIC. Hard-copy packet and food distribution will continue uninterrupted at the two schools, JIC stated….. PACNEWS
130 new COVID cases; 67th death in Guam
