Grand Traverse County COVID-19 Community Update - March 27, 2020
As of this morning, Grand Traverse County continues to have 3
confirmed positive cases of COVID-19. 125 people have been tested who live in
Grand Traverse County: 77 cases have come back negative and 45 cases are
pending. Munson Healthcare is also now reporting numbers for testing on its website for each hospital in the
region. Numbers are listed by hospital that provided service and not broken out
by county of residence.
As numbers in northern Michigan rise, it reinforces the
importance of staying home and social distancing. Our goal is that
COVID-positive cases and patient volume in northern Michigan remains
manageable. It will be critical to avoid complacency and we remind people if
numbers are manageable it is only because of the measures that are in place and
how important it is to stay the course!
Michigan reported 2,856 cases with 60 reported
deaths as of this morning. Numbers are updated daily at 2 pm. Many have also
recovered from COVID-19, but those numbers are more difficult to determine due
in part to unreported mild cases.
The United
States
now has the highest number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the world at
86,012 as of this morning. This is due to more testing being done in the US as
the pandemic spreads throughout the country.
Grand Traverse County health experts say it averages 3-4 days
between when a person gets tested for COVID-19 and when the results are
available to the health department to take action. This lag time is a
challenge. Individuals who are being tested, or suspect they may have symptoms
of COVID-19, are told to self quarantine for 14 days to avoid spreading the
virus when they are tested.
All residents and visitors coming to Grand Traverse County from
areas with high amounts of positive COVID-19 cases are also asked to
self-quarantine for 14 days.
For the most current, factual information, visit Grand Traverse
County’s official website gtcountycovid19.com and Facebook page. All critical health updates
come from the Grand Traverse County Health Department and Munson Healthcare and are immediately posted
throughout the day along with other updates from Joint Operations Center (JOC)
members. Residents are encouraged to direct their neighbors to these best
information resources.
- Disposable face masks
- Disposable stethoscopes
- Thermometers
- Disposable gowns
- Disposable gloves, especially
non-latex
- Wipes: bleach or antimicrobial
- Hand
sanitizer
Curbside donations are accepted daily from 12 p.m.- 6 p.m. at
Goodwill Traverse City South Airport location. All donated items will be
quarantined up to four days.
Grand Traverse County’s Joint Operations Center has been meeting
daily to coordinate efforts and communication on the COVID-19 pandemic since
Friday, March 14. Members include key community partners from health,
government, first responders, education, social service and business
sectors.
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BASIC PREVENTION MEASURES:
The best prevention for viruses, such as influenza, the common
cold or COVID-19 is to:
· Wash your hands often with
soap and warm water for 20 seconds. If not available, use hand sanitizer.
· Avoid touching your eyes,
nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.
· Cover your mouth and nose
with a tissue or upper sleeve when coughing or sneezing.
· Avoid contact with people
who are sick.
· If you are sick, stay home,
and avoid contact with others.
· Replace handshakes with a
friendly wave from 6 feet away.
· Stay at least six feet away
from others when in a public setting.
Information around this outbreak is changing rapidly. The latest
information is available at gtchd.org, at
Michigan.gov/Coronavirus, and CDC.gov/Coronavirus.
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