Covid-19 Community Update: 15 Dec.

Warm Springs, OR December 15, 2020

Contact: Louie Pitt, Jr.
Director Government Affairs & Planning
Email: louie.pitt@wstribes.org
Phones: 541-553-3540/541-777-1359

“As of 8:48 am, 12/15/2020 – Warm Springs Health ness Center has sent in or tested 6132 Total Tests, 5564 Total Negative, 0 Test Pending, 540 Total Positive Cases, 27 Total Invalid, 60 Hospitalized, 55 Discharged 12 Deaths, 72 Positive test from other facilities, 612 Total. 12/14 – a total of 73 tested, 3 new positive, 3 total positives for the week., 57 Rapid, 2 positive, 16 BinaxNow, 0 positive; 0 State, 0 positive returned from State, 0 positive reported by Other Healthcare Facility, 5 Current Hospitalization, 2 on ventilator, 2 new COVID related deaths; There are currently 73 persons with active COVID-19 receiving daily monitoring by Tribal and IHS staff and 153 close contacts receiving daily monitoring by IHS staff. Flu Vaccine numbers – Community at 22.5%.” Hyllis D. Dauphinais, Sr. CEO, Portland Area Indian Health Service, Warm Springs Health and Wellness Center, 541-553-2176 (phone)

There are important tools to help us stop this pandemic: “..It’s important for everyone to continue using all the tools available to help stop this pandemic as we learn more about how COVID-19 vaccines work in real-world conditions. Cover your mouth and nose with a mask when around others, stay at least 6 feet away from others, avoid crowds, and wash your hands often.” Center for Disease Control and Prevention Newsletter

It is flu season: “it’s likely that flu viruses and the virus that causes COVID-19 will both spread this fall and winter. Healthcare systems could be overwhelmed treating both patients with flu and patients with COVID-19. This means getting a flu vaccine during 2020-2021 is more important than ever.  While getting a flu vaccine will not protect against COVID-19 there many important benefits such as:

1. Flu vaccines have been shown to reduce the risk of flue illness, hospitalization, and death.
2. Getting a flu vaccine can also save healthcare resources for the care of patients with COVID- 19.

Reminder Tribal Organization is closed due to Covid-19; it is important that community members realize that they can greatly help reduce the spread of this deadly disease. Please wear masks in public places, social distance, wash hands often, stay away from gatherings, get your flu shot….with the vaccine in the future, we must keep up the Covid-19 safety practices we’ve developed to this point.

Stay Home, Stay Healthy

12-15-2020

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