HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — Guam’s Covid-19 Area Risk Score nearly quadrupled from 7.7 more than a week ago to 23.4 on Wednesday as the number of hospitalized patients and new infections increased further, according to data from the government of Guam’s Joint Information Center.
The new risk score, based in part on cases and hospitalizations, is nearly 10 times the 2.5 mark the government established last year as the sustained acceptable threshold.
The total number of cases reported Wednesday reached 147, which is the highest on record, at least for this year, said Krystal Paco-San Agustin, the governor’s communications director. That showed of 1,456 tests, 10 percent turned out positive for Covid-19.
Hospitalizations are also taking a toll, mostly affecting patients who have not been vaccinated against Covid-19.
There were 32 Covid-19 patients who were hospitalized Wednesday and at least 22 of them were unvaccinated, according to JIC data.
Seven patients were in the intensive care unit and three were on ventilator to help them breathe. All three hospitals on the island had Covid-19 admissions. Guam Regional Medical City had 15 patients, Guam Memorial Hospital 14 and Naval Hospital Guam had three.
More schools report cases
Fifteen more GDOE students tested positive for Covid-19.
The Guam Department of Education confirmed 15 positive cases that were identified at Adacao Elementary School, Astumbo Elementary School, C.L. Taitano Elementary, Inarajan Elementary School, Liguan Elementary School, Merizo Martyrs Memorial Elementary School, Ordot-Chalan Pago Elementary School, Pedro C. Lujan Elementary School, Agueda I. Johnston Middle School, F.B. Leon Guerrero Middle School, Jose Rios Middle School and Simon Sanchez High School.
In collaboration with the Department of Public Health and Social Services, GDOE has identified and notified teachers as well as parents of students who may have been at risk of exposure.
Hospital preparing for more cases
The Guam Memorial Hospital Authority is taking steps to increase capacity in case they see more patients with respiratory illness.
During the board meeting Wednesday evening, GMH Administrator Lillian Perez-Posadas said they’re adding capacity to the Skilled Nursing Facility, from 14 to 26 beds.
“We’re monitoring the census and the ER admissions every shift,” Perez-Posadas said. She attended a meeting with GMHA board members on Wednesday afternoon.
She reported that the public hospital had 14 Covid-19 patients and 129 non-Covid-19 patients. The numbers aren’t much of a change from what’s been reported recently. There’s been an increase in Covid-19 patients as well as a surge in new daily cases.
Just last month, there were fewer than five Covid-19 patients in all three of Guam’s hospitals on any given day and maybe a dozen new cases. And the number of people getting vaccinated continued to increase.
Tuesday night’s Joint Information Center report had 126 new cases and 27 people in local hospitals, including GMH, Guam Regional Medical City and Naval Hospital Guam.
Perez-Posadas said GRMC’s Covid-19 census was at 15 as of earlier that day.
She said the private hospital has reached out to GMH to take some of the less ill patients.
“They have reached out to us to see if we can take some of their patients who don’t need to be in an acute care bed (and) be transferred to the skilled nursing facility,” Perez-Posadas said.
“We’re working … to accommodate for some of their patients … so they can make some rooms for additional Covid-19 or non-Covid-19 patients.”
Southern Guam residents and others form a line that reached the side of the building to get vaccinated against Covid-19 Wednesday at the Southern Region Community Health Center in Inalåhan.
