The Greater Greenbrier COVID-19 Task Force met this morning via conference call and reports the following information.
1. HEALTH DEPARTMENT. Cases continue to rise significantly. Our infection rate is high, and our daily percent positive remains low. Greenbrier County has 391 confirmed cases, 3 suspect cases, 142 probable cases, 297 recovered cases, 227 active cases, 13 hospitalized, and 11 deaths. An update will come later today.
2. QUARANTINE DATES. If you test positive, then you quarantine for 10 days. If you are a household direct contact with constant contact, then you quarantine for 24 days. If you are a household contact without constant contact (or a direct contact at work, for example), then you quarantine for 14 days. Regardless, you cannot test out of quarantine, because you can still test positive later. We are seeing more and more late positive tests after exposure.
3. GREEN ON MAP. Our infection rate is in the red. Our daily positive rate is in the green. The state takes the lower of the two metrics to determine a county’s map color. Since we are doing so much testing, our daily positive rate is low and green…therefore we are green on the map. As a reminder, the state still also counts group setting positives as one case. For example, if 20 nursing home residents test positive, they count as 1 positive.
4. TESTING. We have many testing sites throughout the county each day. Please utilize community testing at RCB Clinic, MedExpress, Greenbrier Physicians, Rainelle Medical Center, and Monroe Health Center. Please do not show up to the Emergency Room for a COVID test. That’s not helpful right now to our emergency rooms, which are dealing with urgent situations.
5. GV MEDICAL CENTER. We currently have 13 COVID patients. Several nurses and providers are out with COVID right now. They are using telehealth to provide services to patients remotely. Visitation is currently limited. Last week, we curtailed surgical patients requiring overnight stays and will continue that practice for the time being.
6. GREENBRIER COUNTY SCHOOLS. As of the afternoon of Tuesday, Dec. 1, we believe we can reopen schools for in-person instruction this Thursday as planned.
7. WVSOM. We are working with DHHR and the Bureau for Public Health to assist in vaccine distribution. We continue to do maintenance testing on a weekly basis.
8. RCB CLINIC. COVID testing demand remains very high. We continue to see patients in person and via telehealth. We will be working with the state on vaccine distribution as well.
9. RAINELLE MEDICAL. We perform COVID testing at all of our locations across the region. However, you need to call to make an appointment for a test. This minimizes any potential spread of the virus at our sites.
10. COMMITTEE ON AGING. We divided our staff into two groups so that in case we do have a positive in a group, we will continue to have staff availability to provide services in the other group. We continue to provide
11. HOMELAND SECURITY. The 911 Center is experiencing a huge spike in calls. First responders are having to transport more and more positive patients, but we are grateful for their safety practices that are keeping them and patients safe. We are working to communicate available testing sites as many folks are calling to ask that. We continue to work to gather PPE.
12. MASK MESSAGING. We are unveiling a campaign designed to increase mask usage across the greater Greenbrier Valley this week. Specifically, we are targeting the message to folks who are hesitant about mask wearing. We are asking our partners and local influencers to help us get the word out! If you have questions or want to participate, send an email to: gbcmaskupwv@gmail.com.
Submitted by Senator Stephen Baldwin, chair of the Task Force
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