COVID-19 Updates, April 9, 2020
|
|
|
|
Orange County Press Release |
|
|
|
MEDIA RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Kristin Prelipp, Communications Manager and
Public Information Officer
kprelipp@orangecountync.gov or (919) 245-2462
LINK TO RELEASE
Orange County Health Department Reporting Outbreaks of COVID-19 at
Two Long-Term Care Facilities
HILLSBOROUGH, N.C. April 8, 2020 – There are outbreaks of COVID-19 at two long-term care facilities in Orange County, occurring at PruittHealth – Carolina Point and Signature HealthCARE at Chapel Hill. An outbreak is defined as two or more cases. Orange County has a total of 81 cases of COVID-19.
Across the state of North Carolina, there are 21 outbreaks in congregant living settings, such as jails or shelters. 18 of the outbreaks are among long-term care facilities. The Orange County Health Department (OCHD) has worked with Orange County EMS, UNC Hospitals and Duke Hospitals to focus on prevention and response at long-term care facilities. Staff from these agencies formed strike teams that have worked closely with the facilities. The strike team tested all staff and residents so they know who carries COVID-19, even if they are asymptomatic.
It has been confirmed that PruittHealth has at least 60 positives cases and the total includes staff and residents. Seven residents are at Duke University Hospital. In the case of Signature HealthCARE there are three positive tests and these are being cared for at UNC Hospitals. More test results are pending for both facilities.
Orange County Health Director, Quintana Stewart says, “We are deeply concerned for the staff and residents and their families who are affected by this outbreak. The best thing we can all do to help them is to remain diligent and practice social distancing.”
Long-Term Care Facility Guidance
Because long-term care facilities have been known to be at high risk for COVID-19, a team from the Orange County Health Department and Orange County EMS has been working with facilities for weeks to assess their operations, sanitation and social distancing policies to be sure that it follows the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NC DHHS). They share best practices for personal protective equipment (PPE) in order to conserve and use equipment properly, as well as make requests to the State for additional PPE, if needed.
Long-Term Care Facilities have instituted the following policies:
- All nursing home staff wear masks to prevent inadvertent spread of COVID-19.
- Communal areas are closed.
- Non-essential personnel are not allowed on site.
- Daily health screenings of staff.
- Facilities immediately notify the Orange County Health Department about new or suspected cases.
- COVID-19 positive residents and staff are separated from other residents and staff.
- Staff who work at multiple facilities must only work at one facility throughout the pandemic.
Long-term care facilities plan for redundancy of staff and have back up plans to ensure continuity of care for residents. Facilities proactively transport residents with aggressive symptoms to area hospitals before their condition deteriorates to increase their chances for better outcomes. Staff from the respective facilities are contacting relatives and guardians of the residents to make them aware of the outbreak and individual resident status.
Limit Exposure
Household members and people who have been in close contact with someone who has had symptoms of COVID-19 should stay home as much as possible for 14 days and monitor themselves for symptoms. Close contact means within six feet for at least 10 minutes. If they start having symptoms of COVID-19, they should take the same steps to prevent spreading it.
This includes:
- no outside visitors
- regular resident and health care professional screenings
- isolation protocols
- personal protective equipment (PPE) instructions and usage
Reliable information
Please rely on accurate sources of information:
CDC: www.cdc.gov
N.C. Department of Health and Human Services: www.ncdhhs.gov The site includes positive COVID-19 test results in North Carolina.
For the latest information and guidance relating to Orange County’s COVID-19 response, visit https://www.orangecountync.gov/Coronavirus
The phone line for questions about COVID-19 is 919-245-6111 and is available from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Spanish language and other languages are available.
To receive daily text updates on the crisis, please text OCNCHEALTH to 888777. For Spanish speakers, text OCNCSALUD to 888-777.
You may also sign up for a twice weekly e-newsletter about the COVID-19 response via our website.
Please follow the Orange County Health Department on Facebook and Twitter.
NCDHHS’ website https://www.ncdhhs.gov/covid-19-case-count-nc, will include future positive COVID-19 test results in North Carolina.
For questions about the Stay at Home Order, see Frequently Asked Questions document that clarifies, in plain language, what the Order means for community members.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)Read more about COVID-19 guidance for business owners and the general public here. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Use of Cloth Face Coverings to Help Slow the Spread of COVID-19
|
|
|
|
|
|
CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies), especially in areas of significant community-based transmission.
CDC also advises the use of simple cloth face coverings to slow the spread of the virus and help people who may have the virus and do not know it from transmitting it to others.
Cloth face coverings fashioned from household items or made at home from common materials at low cost can be used as an additional, voluntary public health measure.
Cloth face coverings should not be placed on young children under age 2, anyone who has trouble breathing, or is unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance.
The cloth face coverings recommended are not surgical masks or N-95 respirators. Those are critical supplies that must continue to be reserved for healthcare workers and other medical first responders, as recommended by current CDC guidance.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Receive COVID-19 Updates Through Text
Orange County residents can receive COVID-19 updates by text message. If interested, text OCNCHEALTH to 888-777. For Spanish, text OCNCSALUD to 888-777. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Orange County Call Center
*Due to low call volume, the Call Center will be in operation from Monday-Friday only.
|
|
|
|
|
|
National Public Health Week
April 6-12, 2020
|
|
|
|
|
|
April 6-12 is recognized as National Public Health Week (NPHW). This year marks the 25th NPHW, with the theme being 'Looking Back, Moving Forward.'
Listed below, are the daily themes for NPHW: Orange County Health Department will be sharing local COVID-19 resource information all week, in line with the daily themes for NPHW.
|
|
|
|
|
|
COVID-19 is causing heightened levels of stress. In particular, isolation and quarantine can be highly stressful. As can separation from loved ones, especially those detained off-shore or in other countries. And many in the public health and health care sectors, as well as those working in affected industries, are shouldering a significant mental health burden.
Reach out and check on your loved ones and community members. And read and share such resources as the World Health Organization's Mental Health Considerations During COVID-19 Outbreak and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's tips on managing anxiety and stress.
Join the American Public Health Association (APHA) at 11:30 a.m. ET on Friday, April 10, for a guided meditation to help ease stress and anxiety for those working to stop the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn more and RSVP. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Maternal and Child Health Resources: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Domestic Violence Resources: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
In perhaps one of the few silver linings of the COVID-19 pandemic, air pollution, specifically CO2 levels, diminished in Italy due to dramatic lifestyle changes. Yet as always, changes in people’s lifestyle patterns can have unexpected consequences on our environment. For now, remain vigilant in recycling plastics. If you are sick, dispose of soiled items by double-bagging in secured containers with lids. Continue to advocate for increased funding to improve our water infrastructure and adequate funding to support public health workers in monitoring, preparing for and responding to the health effects of climate change.
Environmental Health Resources: |
|
|
|
|
|
World Health Organization Health Alert
|
|
|
|
|
|
WHO has launched a dedicated messaging services in Arabic, English, French and Spanish with partners WhatsApp and Facebook to keep people safe from coronavirus.
This easy-to-use messaging service has the potential to reach 2 billion people and enables WHO to get information directly into the hands of the people that need it.
From government leaders to health workers and family and friends, this messaging service provides the latest news and information on coronavirus including details on symptoms and how people can protect themselves and others. It also provides the latest situation reports and numbers in real-time to help government decision-makers protect the health of their populations.
The service can be accessed by a link that opens a conversation on WhatsApp. Users can simply type “hi”, "hola", “salut”, "ciao" or "?????" to activate the conversation, prompting a menu of options that can help answer their questions about COVID-19.
For more information about WHO Alerts, visit their website. |
|
|
|
|
|
North Carolina COVID-19 Cases:
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) reports 3,651 COVID-19 cases, 398 hospitalizations and 65 deaths as of April 9, 2020. For more information regarding live updates (NCDHHS updates the site every morning at 11 a.m.), please visit the NCDHHS website.
There are currently 91 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Orange County, and 1 death.
Orange County will not be sharing any patient demographics about positive COVID-19 cases. Information that identifies a person who has or may have COVID-19 is protected by NC’s communicable disease confidentiality law, G.S. 130A-143. When the information is maintained by a local health department, it is protected by HIPAA as well. The address alone is sufficient to make the information individually identifiable, even without the name. Therefore, the information must be managed in a way that complies with these laws. We will not ever share race, age, sex or zip code.
Social distancing is extremely important to limit the spread of COVID-19. Included below are infographics in English, Spanish and Chinese that give tips on social distancing. Orange County encourages residents to practice social distancing along with other steps, such as proper hand washing, to combat the spread.
Spanish, Chinese, Kinyarwanda, Chinese and Karen versions of the graphics below are available here.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Avoid COVID-19 ScamsRead more about how to protect yourself from coronavirus scams here. Spanish translation is available here. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Resources
NC 2-1-1 NC 2-1-1 is an information and referral service provided by United Way of North Carolina. Accessible via an easy-to-remember, three-digit number, families and individuals can call to obtain free and confidential information on health and human services and resources within their community.
2-1-1 is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Dialing 2-1-1 is free, confidential, and available in most languages. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Housing St Thomas More Church will continue with providing financial assistance for rent, for Chapel Hill and Carrboro residents during this time of social distancing. They require a copy of the lease. Do not come to the church. - Remote Financial Assistance Ministry will operate on following times:
- Mondays 8:30-11:30AM and Thursdays 6-8pm
- People should contact by phone at 919-942-6216
- People could call in advance and leave a message and a volunteer would call/email back during Remote Financial Assistance time-frame.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Town of Hillsborough Announcements
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Town of Hillsborough has provided information on how residents can make water bill payments. More information is linked here. |
|
|
|
|
|
Orange County COVID-19 Resource ListA comprehensive list on local resources in Orange County can be found here. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Check out OCHD’s COVID-19 Multilingual Resource page.
OCHD has national, state and locally produced resources in English, Spanish, Chinese, and many also in American Sign Language (ASL) Arabic, Burmese, Karen, and Kinyarwanda. Swahili to come soon! New materials are posted weekly, and sometimes daily, so check back frequently!
Please share widely and direct questions or feedback to Susan Clifford, Immigrant & Refugee Health Program Manager at sclifford@orangecountync.gov or 919-245-2487 |
|
|
|
|
|
Additional COVID-19 resources: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COVID-19 Response: Donation Drive
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is requesting donations to support the COVID-19 response. We know that our community members want to support this effort, and you may be able to help in a safe way.
We are not asking the community to go out to shop for these items, but rather to donate materials that you already have.
For more information, please visit our website. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Share on Facebook
Share on Twitter
Share via Email
