Hagåtña, Guam – The Guam Department of Public Health and Social Services (DPHSS) continues to work with local and federal partners to address the threat of the virus that causes COVID-19. Currently, there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Guam. Guam continues to assess the situation as it evolves. With any change in status, anticipate timely notification.
Government of Guam Officials Aware of Possible Cases for COVID-19
DPHSS officials were notified of two possible cases now being evaluated for COVID-19 illness. These individuals do not meet the full criteria for a person under investigation (PUI) as determined by the Hawaii State Laboratories Division (HSLD).
Out of an abundance of caution, Guam DPHSS has collaborated with the local health care providers to arrange testing for both cases for COVID-19. Of the two cases, one patient was initially evaluated at GRMC and then admitted to the Guam Memorial Hospital Authority for observation and isolation. After an assessment conducted by DPHSS officials, the second case is being monitored in home isolation.
As lab testing becomes more available across the U.S. mainland and territories, the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) gave authority to states and territories to develop their own testing criteria. In expectation of Guam Public Health Lab commencing testing, Guam DPHSS is developing the territorial testing criteria in collaboration with an advisory council made-up of physician representatives from Guam’s health care facilities and medical associations. DPHSS received the COVID-19 test kits from CDC on March 10, 2020 and is currently conducting the in-house validation required by regulation as quickly as possible.
Officials Track Cases of COVID-19 in the Philippines
On Sunday, the Philippines declared a health emergency after more cases of COVID-19 were confirmed. According to the U.S. State Department, a Level 2 advisory for travel to the Philippines remains in place. Travelers are advised to exercise increased caution.
Guidance to Prepare Your Household for Coronavirus Disease 2019
DPHSS recommends community actions designed to help keep people healthy, reduce exposures to COVID-19, and slow the spread of the disease.
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Create a household plan of action to help protect your health and the health of those you care about in the event of an outbreak of COVID-19. Plan ways to care for those who might be at greater risk for serious complications.
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Choose a room in your home that can be used to separate sick household members from those who are healthy. Identify a separate bathroom for the sick person to use, if possible. Plan to clean these rooms, as needed, when someone is sick.
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Be prepared if your child’s school or childcare facility is temporarily dismissed. Learn about the emergency operations plan at your child’s school or childcare facility.
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Plan for potential changes at your workplace. Learn about your employer’s emergency operations plan. Discuss sick-leave policies and telework options for workers who are sick or who need to stay home to care for sick household members.
Stay Up to with Date with Reputable Sources
It is important to note that 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:
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CDC website: https://www.cdc.gov/
coronavirus/2019-ncov/index. html -
DPHSS website: http://dphss.guam.gov/2019-
novel-coronavirus-2019-n-cov/ -
GHS/OCD website: https://ghs.guam.gov/
coronavirusasNovel- Coronavirus.aspx
For more information, contact DPHSS Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., at (671) 735-7154.
A seabed of shipwrecks
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The Great Lakes have the most shipwrecks per square mile among all bodies of water in the world, largely due to the high shipping traffic in the 19th century and the lake’s volatile weather. Researchers know about the wrecks because reporting any commercial ship that sails on the lakes is required; from the early 19th century to the 20th century, about 40,000 ships sailed the Great Lakes, Baillod said.
There are about 6,000 commercial vessels on the seabed of the Great Lakes, lost to storms or other issues. In Lake Michigan alone, there are over 200 shipwrecks waiting to be discovered, according to Baillod, who has created a database of these ships over the past three decades.
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Wrecks in the Great Lakes have been found since the 1960s, but in recent years the rate of these finds has accelerated greatly, in part due to media attention, clearer waters and better technology, Baillod said. Some wreck hunters and media outlets call this the golden age for shipwreck discoveries.
“There’s a lot more shipwreck awareness now on the Great Lakes, and people are looking down in the water at what’s on the bottom,” he added. Part of the reason it’s easier to see in the water is thanks to quagga mussels — an invasive species that was introduced in the 1990s. The mollusks have filtered most of the lakes, turning them from their old greenish hue, which allowed for only a few feet of visibility, to clear blue. Now, the lakes have visibility of up to 50 to 100 feet (15 to 30.5 meters), Baillod explained.
“Tourism has popped up around paddle boarding and kayaking, and these shipwrecks are visible from the surface because the water is so clear,” he added.
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And then there are advancements in technology. “Side-scan sonar used to cost $100,000 back in 1980,” he said. “The one we used to find this (shipwreck) was just over $10,000. They’ve really come down in price.”
The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, has a project in the works to map the bottom of the Great Lakes in high resolution by 2030. If the organization succeeds, all shipwrecks will be found, Baillod said.
In the meantime, Baillod said he hopes he and his team will continue to discover missing shipwrecks from his database in the coming years and bring along citizen scientists for the ride: “I keep looking, and I don’t doubt that we’ll keep finding.”