Thirty new cases of Covid-19 were identified out of 669 tests performed on Aug. 3, indicating a remarkable jump in positive cases since restrictions were lifted less than a week ago.
Of the 30, the Joint Information Center said, six cases were identified through contact tracing.
The JIC's report from July 30 to Aug. 1 identified 23 new cases of Covid-19.
To date, there have been a total of 8,623 officially reported cases of COVID-19 with 143 deaths, 119 cases in active isolation, and 8,361 not in active isolation. The CAR score is 3.0.
The Department of Public Health and Social Services (DPHSS) received six new results from virus samples collected on Guam, which have undergone genome sequencing by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
DPHSS received the seventh set of results from the CDC. Six of nine samples received were identified as Epsilon Variants of Interest:
Five (5) B.1.429 (California)
One (1) B.1.427 (California)
To date, 170 SARS-CoV-2 virus samples have been submitted to the CDC for genome sequencing and identified a total of 63 coronavirus cases infected with variants of concerns or VOCs.
DPHSS previously reported VOCs from results from the CDC and identified the following:
· 50 cases identified with the B.1.1.7 Alpha variant
· eight cases identified with the B.1.429 Epsilon variant
· three cases identified with the B.1.351 Beta variant
· one case identified with the B.1.617.2 Delta variant
· one case identified with the P.1 Gamma variant
Today, a firefighter assigned to the Astumbo Fire Station informed Guam Fire Department’s (GFD) Infection Control Officer that he was contacted by DPHSS contact tracing section that he was listed as close contact to an individual who tested positive for Covid-19.
The firefighter was tested at the Tamuning Fire Station A second firefighter, who had contact with the first firefighter, tested positive for Covid-19. Both firefighters were tested using the Abbott ID Now machine where the results came back positive for Covid-19, and both received positive results through confirmatory PCR tests performed by DPHSS.
Out of an abundance of caution, the remaining personnel assigned to the Astumbo Fire Station have been placed on cohort, pending testing.
Thorough decontamination of all common areas, including the official vehicle, was performed at the Astumbo Fire Station, Dededo.
Employees were reminded to continue strict adherence to the safety directives, including the wearing of masks and social distancing both on and off duty, to prevent the spread of the virus.
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The community is advised to remain vigilant:
· Wear your mask. Wash your hands. Watch your distance.
· Get vaccinated. Visit dphss.guam.gov/vaccinategu for a complete vaccination schedule.
· Stay home if you are sick, keep away from others who are sick.
· Keep a safe distance of at least 6 feet from others who are not in your household.
· Practice social distancing around elderly family members.
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