Tag Archive for: #granvillevancepublichealth

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Town Talk 05/07/20: Public Health Director Encourages ‘Vigilance in New Normal’

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Lisa Harrison, director of Granville-Vance Public Health, appeared on WIZS Town Talk Thursday at 11 a.m.

With Phase I of NC Governor Roy Cooper’s easing of COVID-19 restrictions beginning Friday at 5 p.m., Harrison said it is important that the public remain vigilant in the “new normal” of washing hands frequently, wearing face coverings while out in public and maintaining physical distance when possible.

Informing listeners that coronavirus is transmitted through air particles in a process known as aerosolization, Harrison said wearing a mask is one way to protect others from your germs.

“Your mask protects everyone around you from your aerosolized particles and someone else’s mask protects you from their aerosolized particles,” explained Harrison. “Wearing a face mask to keep your germs to yourself is a beautiful sign that you care about other people.”

While COVID-19 is not thought to be spread through food, Harrison said it is important when preparing meals to practice good hygiene such as hand washing, thoroughly cleaning utensils and properly wiping down surfaces that food may touch.

With fever, coughing and shortness of breath remaining the primary symptoms of coronavirus, Harrison said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has also added muscle pain, sore throat, chills and loss of taste and smell to the list of possible indicators.

“We have learned that the coronavirus affects everyone differently. One person may get a couple of these symptoms, while another person may experience more of these symptoms. The large majority of people that get coronavirus will not have severe illness, will not need oxygen and will not need to go to the hospital. More than 95 percent of the population who get coronavirus will have mild or moderate illness,” Harrison stated.

Protecting the remaining five percent of the population is the primary purpose of COVID-19 restrictions. “The reason we are taking precautions is for the rest of the population that will have severe illness, will need oxygen at the hospital and are in danger of losing their lives,” said Harrison.

This vulnerable population includes those who reside in congregate living areas such as prisons, nursing homes and group homes; people over the age of 65; and those with underlying health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, asthma, severe obesity and those on dialysis.

With two percent of coronavirus patients dying from related complications, Harrison said a common link on death certificates has been the presence of a previous underlying health condition.

“We want to make sure we protect all of these vulnerable populations that have a much greater risk of severe illness and death,” Harrison said.

For additional information on COVID-19 and updated statistics, visit the Granville-Vance Public Health website at www.gvph.org and the CDC website at www.cdc.gov.

To hear the interview with Harrison in its entirety, go to WIZS.com and click on Town Talk.

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GVPH COVID-19 Update: 17 Deaths in District, Three Congregate Living Outbreaks

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-Information courtesy Granville Vance Public Health

As of May 7, 2020, there are 145 known COVID-19 cases in Granville County, 140 cases in Vance County, and 13,397 confirmed cases in North Carolina.

There are currently three outbreaks at congregate living facilities in the district – one at the Federal Correctional Complex in Butner, NC, one at Pelican Health in Henderson, NC, and one at Kerr Lake Nursing Home in Henderson, NC.

Of the total positive cases in each county, 81 in Granville County are associated with the prison, 46 in Vance County are associated with Pelican Health nursing home, and 10 are associated with Kerr Lake Nursing Home.

Of the 64 community-based cases in Granville County, 36 have been released from isolation and 58 of the 81 cases at the prisons have been released from isolation.

Of the 140 cases in Vance, 22 have been released from isolation and 12 are hospitalized.

There have been a total of 17 deaths in the health district – 11 in Vance County and six with the Bureau of Prisons in Granville County.

GVPH updates its website daily with Vance and Granville COVID-19 statistics. Please visit www.gvph.org/COVID-19/ for the latest information.

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GVPH COVID-19 Update: Outbreak Reported at Kerr Lake Nursing Home

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-Information courtesy Granville Vance Public Health

As of May 6, 2020, there are 149 known COVID-19 cases in Granville County, 135 cases in Vance County, and 12,758 confirmed cases in North Carolina.

There are three outbreaks at congregate living facilities in the district – one at the Federal Correctional Complex in Butner, NC, one at Pelican Health in Henderson, NC, and one at Kerr Lake Nursing Home in Henderson, NC.

Of the total positive cases in each county, 87 in Granville County are associated with the prison, 47 in Vance County are associated with Pelican Health Nursing Home and 10 are associated with Kerr Lake Nursing Home.

Of the 62 community-based cases in Granville County, 36 have been released from isolation and 47 of the 87 cases at the prisons have been released from isolation.

Of the 135 cases in Vance, 20 have been released from isolation and 8 are hospitalized.

There have been a total of 16 deaths in the health district – 10 in Vance County and 6 with the Bureau of Prisons in Granville County.

GVPH updates its website daily with Vance and Granville COVID-19 statistics. Please visit www.gvph.org/COVID-19/ for the latest information.

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GVPH: COVID-19 Update: May 5, 2020


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— courtesy of Granville Vance Public Health online at GVPH.org

The following is an update for COVID-19 spread and response in Granville and Vance County as of May 5, 2020. Our numbers correlate with the NC Electronic Disease Surveillance System (NCEDSS) data and the NC county map from NC Department of Health and Human Services.

Vance County
113 positive test results for COVID-19

68 of those 113 are community-spread cases located across Vance county

45 of those 113 are associated with an outbreak at the Pelican Health nursing home

20 of those 113 cases have been released from isolation and 8 remain hospitalized

There have been a total of 10 deaths in Vance County, 6 of which are associated with the Pelican Health nursing home outbreak. Unfortunately, there were two deaths today. An 81-year old male and an 85-year old male died today, May 5, 2020, at the Pelican Health nursing home.

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Granville County
144 positive test results for COVID-19

57 of those 144 are community-spread cases located across Granville county and 36 of those 57 have been released from isolation

87 of those 144 cases are affiliated with the prison system in Butner, NC and 47 of those 87 have been released from isolation

There have been a total of 6 deaths in Granville County, all reported by the Bureau of Prisons associated with the Federal Correctional Complex.

Some additional cases being reported currently out of the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) are related to a building on the Durham County side and those cases will be reported to the Durham County Health Department for data entry into the NCEDSS system. The Bureau of Prisons is doing their own testing on site. For more about the response from the Bureau of Prisons, please see their website.

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14 COVID-19 Deaths, 254 Confirmed Cases in Granville, Vance Health District

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-Information courtesy Granville Vance Public Health

As of May 4, 2020, there are 144 known COVID-19 cases in Granville County, 110 cases in Vance County, and 11,848 confirmed cases in North Carolina.

There are two outbreaks at congregate living facilities in the district – one at Federal Correctional Complex in Butner, NC and one at Pelican Health Nursing Home in Henderson, NC.

Of the total positive cases in each county, 87 in Granville County are associated with the prison and 47 in Vance County are associated with the nursing home.

Of the 57 community-based cases in Granville County, 34 have been released from isolation and 46 of the 87 cases at the prisons have been released from isolation.

Of the 110 cases in Vance, 19 have been released from isolation and 6 are hospitalized.

There have been a total of 14 deaths in the health district – 8 in Vance County and 6 with the Bureau of Prisons in Granville County.

GVPH updates its website daily with Vance and Granville COVID-19 statistics. Please visit www.gvph.org/COVID-19/ for the latest information.

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Twelve COVID-19 Related Deaths Reported in the Granville, Vance District

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-Information courtesy Granville Vance Public Health

As of April 29, 2020, there are 135 known COVID-19 cases in Granville County, 87 cases in Vance County, and 9,948 confirmed cases in North Carolina.

There are two outbreaks at congregate living facilities in the district – one at the Federal Correctional Complex in Butner, NC and one at Pelican Health Nursing Home in Henderson, NC.

Of the total positive cases in each county, 86 in Granville County are associated with the prison and 34 in Vance County are associated with the nursing home.

Of the 49 community-based cases in Granville County, 24 have been released from isolation and 46 of the 86 cases at the prisons have been released from isolation.

Of the 87 cases in Vance, 19 have been released from isolation and 6 are hospitalized.

There have been a total of 12 deaths in the health district – 6 in Vance County and 6 with the Bureau of Prisons in Granville County.

GVPH has created graphs (click here to view) to regularly share data about new cases over time, cumulative cases, and demographics of cases in our counties. Graphs will be updated on Tuesdays and Fridays.

GVPH updates its website daily with Vance and Granville COVID-19 statistics. Please visit www.gvph.org/COVID-19/ for the latest information.

TownTalk 04/29/20: GVPH ‘Virtual Town Hall’ COVID-19 Session (Audio/Video)

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Granville Vance Public Health (GVPH) hosted a “Virtual Town Hall” session live via its Facebook page today at 11 a.m.

GVPH Director Lisa Harrison, GVPH Medical Director Dr. Shauna Guthrie and Oxford Mayor Jackie Sergent addressed the on-going COVID-19 epidemic and answered questions that were submitted by the public.

Live for our Virtual Town Hall on COVID-19 in Granville County!

Posted by Granville Vance Public Health on Wednesday, April 29, 2020

Questions the government and health officials addressed in the session included:

Q: Is there mapping available that would show COVID-19 cases by location in the county?

A: That is not currently available because the population in Vance and Granville counties does not have a lot of variability in zip code. The numbers aren’t as high as more populated counties such as Mecklenburg or Wake.

Q: Why is GVPH not sharing the number of COVID-19 tests administered on its website?

A: The number of tests administered continues to increase and is hard to capture. One reason is that there are many providers – private practices, hospitals, health departments and groups in primary care – offering the test. Also, the Electronic Disease Surveillance System does not require labs and physicians to enter negative results, only positive.

Harrison reported that while there is not an official number, more than 500 tests have been administered across Vance and Granville counties.

Q: Will GVPH let us know if we’ve been in contact with someone who has tested positive?

A: It depends on the level of contact. Anytime someone tests positive, GVPH receives an alert. They contact the person who tested positive to see who they’ve been in contact with 2-3 days prior to symptoms starting. The biggest concern is those that have been in close contact with the infected person, either by standing closer than six-feet together for an extended period of time and/or being in a small room together.

People who are deemed at-risk are notified and advised to stay home and quarantine for at least 14 days.

Q: Have those who previously tested positive for COVID-19, and have since been lifted from isolation, been retested?

A: No, they have not been retested. GVPH is following the CDC’s guidelines to determine when a person is no longer contagious. The general rule is a person is considered no longer contagious when it has been at least seven days since testing positive and they’ve had no fever for 72 hours and symptoms have greatly improved.

Q: What can we do to make residents take stay at home and social orders seriously?

A: We need to keep emphasizing that the virus can be spread whether a person has symptoms or not; many are asymptomatic. We also need to be less quick to blame others and examine our own behaviors.

Q: Does our community have enough Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) – gowns, masks and gloves?

A: Yes, so far the requests that have been made have been fulfilled. There are also many volunteers in the community providing these supplies and their support is greatly appreciated.

Q: Have residents with COVID-19 at Pelican Health Nursing Home in Henderson been moved to another facility?

A: There are 66 residents and 150 staff (full-time, part-time and contractors) associated with Pelican Health Henderson. All residents and many of the staff were tested within 48 hours of identifying the first positive resident. All the residents who tested positive and are symptomatic have been isolated.

To hear the session in its entirety, including additional Q&A, please watch the video contained in this article, or visit the Granville Vance Public Health Department’s Facebook page (click here).

Click below for TownTalk audio:

 

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Confirmed Vance COVID-19 Cases Increase to 79, Granville Remains Steady at 130

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-Information courtesy Granville Vance Public Health

As of April 27, 2020, Granville Vance Public Health reports 130 known cases of COVID-19 in Granville County, 79 cases in Vance County and 9,142 confirmed cases in North Carolina.

There are two outbreaks at congregate living facilities in the district – one at Federal Correctional Complex in Butner, NC and one at Pelican Health Nursing Home in Henderson, NC. Of the total positive cases in each county, 85 in Granville County are associated with the prison and 33 in Vance County are associated with the nursing home.

Of the 45 community-based cases in Granville County, 21 have been released from isolation and 46 of the 85 cases at the prisons have been released from isolation.

Of the 79 cases in Vance, 10 have been released from isolation* and 6 are hospitalized. There have been a total of 8 deaths in the health district – 3 in Vance County and 5 with the Bureau of Prisons in Granville County.

*Granville Vance Public Health (GVPH) does not have official guidance at this time to determine whether someone is ‘recovered’ since many details about this virus and its effects are still being discovered. GVPH shares the number of those who have been ‘released from isolation’ as determined by the CDC Guidance for discontinuation of isolation for persons with COVID-19.

GVPH updates its website daily with Vance and Granville COVID-19 statistics. Please visit www.gvph.org/COVID-19/ for the latest information.

What does the Health Department do when there is a positive case in our community?

Once a positive test result is received, the health department reaches out to the affected person to ensure they are isolating in their home. Families of individuals who are confirmed positive for COVID-19 are given information about isolation and quarantine and asked to monitor symptoms.

Local public health officials then conduct an interview with the patient to begin contact tracing – investigating any known contacts from the previous two weeks. GVPH determines any potential at-risk contacts and notifies them individually of that contact and that risk.

GVPH’s commitment to the public is to announce all positive cases as soon as the results are confirmed. Therefore, announcements may be made before contact tracing is fully completed. GVPH will share more information as it is appropriate.

To protect privacy, no additional information about the individuals will be shared by the health department.

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COVID-19: 68 Cases, 3 Deaths in Vance; 130 Cases, 5 Deaths in Granville

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-Update from Lisa Harrison, director of Granville Vance Public Health

Vance County has 68 known cases of COVID-19 as of April 26, 2020.

10 of those 68 have been released from isolation;
7 of those 68 are inpatient (in the hospital);
28 of those 68 are associated with the Pelican Health Nursing Home outbreak.

There have been 3 deaths in Vance County related to COVID-19. A 72-year old male from Vance County died Sunday, April 12, 2020. He was hospitalized at the time and had multiple pre-existing health conditions that worsened as a result of COVID-19. An 82-year old male from Vance County died Thursday, April 23, 2020. He was in Hospice Care. An 81-year old female from Vance County died Saturday, April 25, 2020. She was in the hospital at the time of death and was the initial positive case identified at the Pelican Health Nursing Home on Wednesday, April 22, 2020.

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Granville County has 130 positive test results for COVID-19 in the NC Electronic Disease Surveillance System or NCEDSS as of April 26, 2020.

44 of those 130 are community-spread cases located across Granville County.

21 of those 44 have been released from isolation – enough time has passed since initial symptoms appeared and since test results came in. 21 individuals who were positive for COVID-19 in Granville County a few weeks ago report they are feeling better. GVPH does not have official guidance for ‘recovered’ at this time.

86 of those 130 cases are affiliated with the prison system in Butner, NC. More about their response can be found online at https://www.bop.gov/coronavirus/. GVPH numbers correlate with the NC Electronic Disease Surveillance System (NCEDSS) data and NC county map: https://www.ncdhhs.gov/covid-19-case-count-nc

46 of those 86 have been released from isolation.

There have been a total of 5 deaths reported by the Bureau of Prisons associated with the Federal Correctional Complex in Butner, NC:

April 11, 2020, an 81-year-old male died,
April 12, 2020, a 57-year-old male and a 78-year-old male died,
April 13, 2020, a 46-year-old male died, and
April 16, 2020, a 67-year-old male died.

All inmates died from complications related to COVID-19. All individuals were also hospitalized and experienced underlying health conditions.

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Second COVID-19 Related Death Reported in Vance; Five at Butner Prison Complex

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-Information courtesy Granville Vance Public Health

As of April 23, 2020, there were 118 known cases of COVID-19 in Granville County, 37 cases in Vance County and 7,608 confirmed cases in North Carolina. Of the positive test results in Granville County, 76 are being reported at the Federal Correctional Complex in Butner, NC.

There have been a total of seven deaths in the health district – two in Vance County and five with the Bureau of Prisons in Granville County.

Of the 41 community-based cases in Granville County, 18 have been released from isolation. At the Federal Correctional Complex, 41 of the 76 cases have been released from isolation.*

Of the 37 cases in Vance County, 10 have been released from isolation.*

*Granville Vance Public Health (GVPH) does not have official guidance at this time to determine whether someone is ‘recovered’ since many details about this virus and its effects are still being discovered. GVPH shares the number of those who have been ‘released from isolation’ as determined by the CDC Guidance for discontinuation of isolation for persons with COVID-19.

GVPH updates its website daily with Vance and Granville COVID-19 statistics. Please visit www.gvph.org/COVID-19/ for the latest information.