Grand Traverse County COVID-19 Community Update - April 14, 2020
Stay Home, Stay Safe, Save Lives remains the most important message for
residents throughout Northwest Michigan. It is important that people continue
to stay home as much as possible, avoid all non-essential travel and practice
social distancing when they must go out.
As of this morning, the Grand Traverse County Health Department
continues to report 17 positive cases of COVID-19 in Grand Traverse County
residents. To date, 290 individuals have been tested for COVID-19 in Grand
Traverse County, 240 have tested negative and 7 people in the County who had
previously tested positive have now completed isolation and are symptom-free.
The Grand Traverse County Health Department has developed a helpful one-page info-graphic about when it is safe to
leave your home if you have COVID-19 or live with someone who does. To date, Michigan has reported 25,635 cases of COVID-19, with
1,602 deaths. 443 individuals have recovered from COVID-19. Numbers are updated
daily.
Testing restrictions and the
time it takes to receive results limits knowledge of all COVID-19 cases and
therefore residents should still take the necessary precautions assuming they
may be exposed to COVID-19 in any public place. Although new information and
contact tracing of positive cases can give us a better idea of how the virus
could be spreading, the best method to reduce the spread and protect our
communities is still to stay home and leave only to provide or receive
essential services. When cases are reported to local health departments, they
often tell us where the virus was spreading 10-14 days ago, not where it may be
currently. Regionally, there are enough confirmed cases reported now to know
there is community-based spread throughout Northern Michigan, and the best way
to reduce your risk is to maintain social distancing.
TRUSTED INFORMATION SOURCES
Information around this outbreak is changing rapidly. Please direct
your neighbors to these information resources for the most current, factual
information:
- Grand Traverse County: For
Grand Traverse County COVID-19 updates, visit the official gtcountycovid19.com website and Facebook page. Residents can also call the hotline at
231-642-3548, view daily updates on Cable Access Channels 189 and 191, or sign
up to receive daily updates via email. 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 the Joint Operations
Center (JOC).
- Munson Healthcare: COVID-19
testing results are reported
daily for each Munson Healthcare hospital in northern Michigan.
- Statewide: Michigan.gov/Coronavirus
- National: CDC.gov/Coronavirus
ABOUT THE JOC
Grand Traverse County’s Joint Operations Center has been meeting
daily to coordinate efforts and communication on the COVID-19 pandemic since
Friday, March 13. Members include key community partners from health,
government, first responders, education, social service, and business
sectors.
BASIC PREVENTION MEASURES
The best prevention for viruses like COVID-19, influenza, and the
common cold 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.
- Stay at least six feet away
from others when in a public setting.
- Replace handshakes with a
friendly wave from 6 feet away.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has assembled
a FAQ on protecting yourself
from COVID-19.
If you suspect that you may have contracted the virus, call your healthcare
provider or the Michigan COVID-19 Hotline at 888-535-6136, seven days a week
from 8 am - 5 pm.
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