Good Morning Guam. It is 7 AM on Friday 20 March March 2020. Do you feel disconnected, like summer when you were a kid, not sure what day it is, not really motivated to do anything at all? Maybe it’s just me.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released laboratory test kits for the 2019 novel coronavirus or COVID-19. The kit is shown in this CDC photo. (Photo: Courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
There are an additional four cases of coronavirus on Guam.
The Guam Department of Public Health and Social Services tested 16 individuals for COVID-19 on Thursday and four tested positive, according to a news release from the Joint Information Center.
To date there now are 12 people who have tested positive; 69 people have tested negative for COVID-19.
Of the four new cases, one had travel history, while the others had no travel history.
Public Health continues contact tracing for the 12 positive COVID-19 cases, which includes identifying close contacts of the individuals, such as family members and co-workers, who will be quarantined and actively monitored for 14 days after their last contact with the case.
GovGuam has instituted COVID-19 mandatory quarantine protocol measures for all incoming travelers without health credentials.
Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero signed Executive Order 2020-05 which further prohibits large gatherings and mandatory social isolation, effective noon Friday.
Person-to-person spread is thought to happen among people in close contact (about 6 feet) with each other through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes, similar to how influenza and other respiratory pathogens spread.
The government advises:
Stay home. Consider ways of getting food brought to your house through family, social, or commercial networks.
Stock up on supplies.
Take everyday precautions to keep space between yourself and others.
When you go out in public, keep away from others who are sick, limit close contact and wash your hands often.
Avoid crowds as much as possible.
It’s important to note the situation can change quickly. The community is reminded to only share official notices and visit the following links for the most up-to-date information:
Staff Reports, Pacific Daily News USA TODAY NetworkPublished 10:00 p.m. ChT March 15, 2020 | Updated 4:37 a.m. ChT March 19, 2020CLOSE
Visitors seeking assistance at the Guam Memorial Hospital’s emergency room on March 13, 2020, are pre-screened by hospital security officer Ricky San Nicolas. The screening has been implemented due to coronavirus concerns. Pacific Daily NewsCONNECTTWEETLINKEDINCOMMENTEMAILMORE
The government and the community are responding to COVID-19. Check the list to see the status of services and meetings.
Schools
Guam Department of Education classes have been canceled.
Catholic Schools have been canceled until further notice.
All in-person classes at the University of Guam have been canceled for the rest of the semester.
Guam Community College is closed.
St. John’s School classes have been canceled.
St. Paul Christian School has been canceled.
Guam Adventist Academy has been canceled.
Harvest Christian Academy – closed this week for Spring Break, but additional guidance regarding closure beyond that will be provided.
Temple Baptist Christian School – closed until further notice
SIFA Learning Academy – closed until further notice
Guahan Academy Charter School – closed until further notice
iLearn Academy Charter School – closed until further notice
Guam Memorial Hospital: One visitor per patient is allowed. The emergency department is limited to patients and staff only, unless the patient requires a guardian. Temperature screening of visitors is being conducted.
Guam Regional Medical City: One visitor per patient is allowed, and the visitor must be registered. No substitution on visitors is allowed. No children are allowed to visit.
The U.S. Renal Care Dialysis Centers remain open until further notice.
FHP medical/urgent care department hours of operation will be 7 a.m. to 7 pm. Dental and Vision departments will be temporarily suspending routine visits and will have on-call provider and staff to attend to urgent issues
TakeCare offices in Tamuning at the Baltej Pavilion, Philippines and Saipan, will be closed until further notice.
Guam Medical Care LLC will remain open. Operating hours are adjusted. All patients will require screening and temperature checks before entering the facility. Call 647-4174 for further instructions.
SDA clinic: Patients with symptoms, such as cough, runny nose, fever, sore throat, difficulty breathing, etc., will be redirected to an outdoor screening/treatment area, where they will be evaluated and treated in their vehicles. In addition, elective surgical cases have been postponed and elective dental procedures have been postponed.
Harmon Loop Dental: Closed through through April 12. Expect to resume clinic hours on April 13. For emergencies contact 637-9696 or 637-0023.
Department of Corrections: There will be no visitation at this time.
The Department of Youth Affairs: Maintains essential operations and postpones upcoming Youth Month activities. Visitation for juveniles in custody will continue but are limited to phone calls and mail only until further notice. Parents/guardians can call 735-5022 and will be connected to the appropriate dormitory.
Libraries: All operations, programs and events will be canceled at the Hagåtῆa Main Facility along with the Archival Center in Barrigada and branches in Agat, Merizo, Yona and Dededo. Meetings will be canceled or rescheduled. Patrons will have two automatic renewals on library items that are eligible for renewal. Donations from the public will not be accepted at this time.
The Mayor’s Council of Guam has suspended all village-sponsored events and activities until further notice.
All senior centers are closed.
Guam Regional Transit Authority: Both Paratransit and fixed route services continue normal operations at this time.
Guam Solid Waste Authority: Trash pick-up will operate normally as scheduled with the exception of recycling, which will not be picked up. Transfer stations are closed.
Mayors’ offices remain open.
Guam Judicial Center in Hagåtña and Northern Court Satellite in Dededo, offices of Probation Services Division and Judicial Education Center are closed to the public. The court will hear some matters through video conference or telephonic appearance. All other Supreme Court and Superior Court matters scheduled between March 16 and March 30 are postponed.
All local Social Security offices will be closed to the public for in-person service.
The Guam Hotel and Restaurant Association: Office will be closed for the next 14 days. All GHRA meetings are canceled until further notice.
Guam Museum and the CHamoru Village: Closed for the next 14 days. CHamoru Village merchants and Wednesday night vendors are not to operate for the next 14 days.
Narcotics Anonymous: Meetings on Guam have been postponed until further notice. Online meetings are still being held.
The Guam Procurement Technical Assistance Center workshops for March are canceled.
Andrea R. Ilao Foundation’s Swing for ReliefGolf Tournament scheduled for March 28 has been canceled.
The Guam Running Club canceled all upcoming races, including the GRC Marathon, GRC Perimeter Relay, and community hosted races 5K or 2K.
The John F. Kennedy High School reunion events are canceled. The mixer on March 27, the 5K on March 28 and the dinner gala on March 28 are canceled.
Utilities and telecom
Guam Power Authority and Guam Waterworks customer lobbies at are closed for in-person transactions. Customer service representatives will be available by phone to respond to service inquires. Pay-by-phone services will be available from 8 a.m. through 5 p.m. for GPA at (671) 647-5787 and for 24 hours a day for GWA at 647-4729. Customers can email at customersfirst@gpagwa.com. Disconnections for power and water are suspended through March 31.
IT&E: The company is removing data caps for all its Guam postpaid subscribers until March 31 and is pushing back bill due dates. Bill payment deadline has been pushed back from the 15th of the month. Subscribers can now pay their monthly bill anytime during the month and no late fees or suspensions will be applied. Stores remain open with strict sanitization and hand-washing procedures in place. Associates are available to help via phone at 922-4483. Phone purchases and bill payments can be made online at www.ite.net.
GTA: For the next 60 days, from March 17, there will be no termination of service to any residential or business customers from their inability to pay their bills, and late fees will be waived. Same day repair and next day install should any network events impact services at home and work. Stores and call center will remain open with some schedule adjustments.
Docomo Pacific: Customers with postpaid mobile plans in Guam or the CNMI have endless mobile data for the next 30 days from March 17. The company has paused all disconnects due to non-payment and will be waiving all late fees during the same 30-day period. Headquarters retail location in Tamuning is closed until further notice. All other retail locations remain open.
Pacific Daily News: Our Harmon lobby is closed, and we ask our customers to use our Hagåtña lobby for transactions. Please call 472-1PDN, 479-0219, 479-0294 or 479-0295 for assistance. We are encouraging our customers to either call prior to going to our Hagåtña location or to make their payments on guampdn.com. If you need assistance in doing that, please call.
Pay-Less Markets: Adjusted hours are 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Elderly have a designated shopping time from 5 to 6 a.m.. at the Dededo, Maite and Sumay Pay-Less stores.
Atkins Kroll: The number of access points have been reduced. Station manned surveillance to monitor body temperature at the property access points with non-contact thermal scanners.
Coast360: Tamuning and Dededo member centers will be closed and services will be centralized to only Maite Member Center through drive-up tellers, appointment-only lobby services and Contact Center.
Bank of Guam: Hagåtña and Upper Tumon branches open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, closed Saturdays. All other Guam branches will be closed.
Community First Guam Federal Credit Union: Will limit face-to-face services for two weeks. Teller service will be limited to drive-thru transactions only at Hagåtña, Tamuning, and Dededo Member Service Centers.
Jamaican Grill Chamorro Village location in Hagåtña is temporarily closed
McDonald’s dining rooms are closed, drive-thru windows and take-out counters open.
Agana Shopping Center’s operating hours are from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays.
Micronesia Mall hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily until further notice.
Macy’s Guam store hours are noon to 6 p.m. Sunday through Friday, and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday.
Movie theaters at the Guam Premier Outlets and the Agana Shopping Center are closed.
Micronesia Mall’s movie theater remains open.
Paradise Fitness locations remain open, under modified hours. The gym’s new hours are from 6 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., and from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
International Sports Center remains open.
Guam Muay Thai Gym is closed through the end of March.
Military
The Department of Defense Education Activity Guam schools are closed
USO Tumon Bay and USO Andersen Centers have suspended operations.
To add your business or community announcement to the list, send us an email at news@guampdn.com.
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