105 new cases of COVID-19; governor closes businesses
Pacific Daily News USA TODAY Network
Guam has 105 new cases of COVID-19, according to a video released by the governor's office.
"Tonight, the Department of Public Health and Social Services will confirm 105 new cases of COVID-19," Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero announced in the video. "This, by far, represents the largest number of confirmed cases in a day since the start of this pandemic."
The governor announced stronger restrictions on business operations.
"Effective noon tomorrow, Aug. 21, through an Executive Order, all businesses will be closed with the exception of grocery stores, health care operations, including pharmacies, gas stations, convenience stores, hardware stores, and those operations critical to health, shelter, and the preservation of life. It is my hope that this escalation will last only a week — just long enough to flatten our rising curve. To assuage any fears you may have because of this order, I will be establishing a hotline that will answer your questions, which we will announce tomorrow," Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero said.
What it means:Gov. Leon Guerrero announces stricter measures for PCOR 1
Coronavirus on Guam:Three people now on ventilators at Guam Memorial Hospital
Adelup spokeswoman Krystal Paco-San Agustin initially said the closure would affect restaurants. Later, Adelup determined that drive-through services would be allowed, and a decision on take-out was pengi.
The governor noted that the island's health system is becoming burdened by the number of people infected with COVID-19, a situation mentioned by Guam Memorial Hospital Administrator Lillian Perez-Posadas earlier in the day.
Perez-Posadas said the hospital has a four-bed capacity in its Care 2 COVID unit. She said the unit has a five-bed capacity, but the ventilators take up room so they capped it at four beds.
The hospital also has a non-COVID ICU area with 14 beds available, but eight of them are currently in use, she said.
At that non-COVID ICU area, there are an additional six beds for COVID patients if needed and the area will be partitioned so that non-COVID patients are away from those with COVID-19.
On the third floor, the hospital's telemetry unit has 26 beds and there are currently 9 patients who will be moved to another area to free up the unit for COVID-19 care, Perez-Posadas said.
The hospital is expanding its beds for COVID-19 patients in anticipation of patients coming in, she said.
Previously undiagnosed case:Guam logs sixth COVID-19-related death
Mass testing postponed:Public Health needs more time to run pending COVID-19 tests
Perez-Posadas said the hospital is seeing more patients needing higher level and critical care which requires help for them to breathe.
"It's a pretty serious situation," she said.
The governor said "based on what we know about COVID-19, to prevent the collapse of our health care system, we need to take drastic steps and we need to take them immediately. I know this is extremely difficult, but the good of all depends on the sacrifices of many. More than ever before, we need unity, hope, compassion, and the political will to see this crisis through."