– Gov Burgum’s News Briefing Tues Aug 4

(CSi) Governor Doug Burgum held his weekly COVID-19 News Briefing, Tuesday afternoon, at the state capital in Bismarck

He was joined by North Dakota University System Chancellor Mark Hagerott and State Board of Higher Education Student Member Erica Solberg.

North Dakota health officials have reported 149 new COVID-19 infections and two additional deaths. The updated report Tuesday confirms 107 deaths from complications of the coronavirus since the pandemic began. Officials said 4,904 tests were processed in the past day, for a total of nearly 330,000. A total of 6,933 people have tested positive for the virus. North Dakota’s active cases on Tuesday stands at 1,111, a sum that has about quadrupled in the past month. Officials said 29 of the new cases were in Burleigh County and 11 were in Morton County.

NDDoH

COVID-19 Stats.

Posted, Tues. Aug. 4, 2020

11-a.m.

COVID-19 Test Results
Results listed are from the previous day.

INDIVIDUALS WHO DIED WITH COVID-19

Man in his 60s from Griggs County with underlying health conditions.
Woman in her 70s from Sioux County with underlying health conditions.

COUNTIES WITH NEW POSITIVE CASES REPORTED TUESDAY

Barnes County 1
Barnes Total 35
Barnes Active 4
Barnes Recovered 31
Benson County – 33
Burke County – 1
Burleigh County – 29
Cass County – 8
Dickey County – 1
Emmons County – 1
Grand Forks County – 5
LaMoure County – 1
McIntosh County – 1
McKenzie County – 5
Morton County – 11
Mountrail County – 3
Nelson County – 1
Ramsey County – 13
Richland County – 2
Rolette County – 1
Sargent County – 2
Sheridan County – 1
Stark County – 7
Steele County – 1
Stutsman County 3
Stutsman Total 121
Stutsman Active 24
Stutsman Recovered 95
Walsh County – 1
Ward County – 4
Wells County – 2
Williams County – 11

Burgum said the Burleigh- Morton County COVID-19 Task Force is set to kick off with controlling the spread of the virus, in cooperation with city and county officials, and health department contributions, with educational information being stepped up to residents of those counties.

BY THE NUMBERS

329,812 – Total Number of Tests Completed* (+4,904 total tests from yesterday)

160,470 – Total Unique Individuals Tested* (+1,719 unique individuals from yesterday)

153,537 – Total Negative (+1,571 unique individuals from yesterday)

6,933 – Total Positive (+149 unique individuals from yesterday)

After investigation it was found that a case from Burleigh County was from out of state.

3.0% – Daily Positivity Rate** 2.5% past 7 days.

389 – Total Hospitalized (+10 individual from yesterday)

51 – Currently Hospitalized (+5 individuals from yesterday)

5,715 – Total Recovered (+125 individuals from yesterday)

107 – Total Deaths*** (+2 individual from yesterday)

* Note that this does not include individuals from out of state and has been updated to reflect the most recent information discovered after cases were investigated.

**Because the serial tests completed and added to the total number of tests completed can result in new individuals who test positive, the daily positivity rate will be calculated using the total positives for the day by the daily number of tests completed instead of the daily number of unique individuals tested.

*** Number of individuals who tested positive and died from any cause while infected with COVID-19.

For descriptions of these categories, visit the NDDoH dashboard.

For the most updated and timely information and updates related to COVID-19, visit the NDDoH website at www.health.nd.gov/coronavirus, follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and visit the CDC website at www.cdc.gov/coronavirus.

Burgum updated the COVID-19 …3^rd Round of Relief

Package includes $59M for cities and counties, $97M for health programs, $100M to keep Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund solvent

The North Dakota Emergency Commission has unanimously approved a third tranche of federal funding to support the state’s COVID-19 response and recovery efforts, directing nearly $320 million to cities and counties, public health services, unemployment insurance and other programs.

North Dakota received $1.25 billion from the Coronavirus Relief Fund as part of the $2.2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The $319.7 million approved today is what remained of the state’s Coronavirus Relief Fund dollars after votes by the Emergency Commission to allocate $406.1 million in June and $524.2 million in May, with approval from the Legislature’s Budget Section.

Cities and counties will receive $59 million, on top of the $20 million for local public health units. The $59 million will be paid out as a reimbursement for law enforcement payroll based on each jurisdiction’s number of law enforcement officers and actual payroll costs from March through September. Public safety payroll is considered an allowable expense to distribution of Coronavirus Relief Fund dollars. An estimated $33.5 million will go to cities and $25.4 million to counties.

North Dakota University System Chancellor Mark Hagerott explained the benefits of holding class on campus with hands on education including lab work classes. He said faculty members as well as students have a smart restart task force, developing reopening plans. Safe guidelines include COVID-19 testing of students and faculty, and practicing safe procedures, with social distancing, frequent hand sanitizing and wearing face masks, when social distancing is not possible.

Hagerott said The North Dakota University System (NDUS) in cooperation with the North Dakota Department of Health is arranging mass testing events for COVID-19 in multiple locations across the state. Current students, incoming students, faculty and staff are encouraged to get tested.

He pointed out, “All areas of the state are being targeted so that students can get tested where they are at, in their hometowns, before packing up and travelling to their campus of choice. For the safety of your friends, family and yourself, we are asking all students to please get tested at a location of their choice and help us create the safest environment possible for our campus communities.”

The testing events are scheduled for Aug. 3-25 in Fargo, Bismarck, Grand Forks, Wahpeton, Jamestown, Mayville, Bottineau, Minot, Devils Lake, Belcourt, Fort Totten, Fort Yates, New Town, Williston and Dickinson, and other smaller communities across the state. Exact testing dates, times and locations for each city are listed at the North Dakota University System’s testing event site at ndus.edu/gettested/. As best as possible, students should take the COVID-19 test approximately five days before leaving home. That way, students know they are healthy as they leave home and head to campus.

Participants are encouraged to pre-register to facilitate an efficient collection process and minimize the amount of time spent at the testing site. The pre-registration link is on the Department of Health’s website at testreg.nd.gov/.

If results are positive, NDUS and DOH ask that you follow public health guidelines and isolate at your home or place of residence. Students and employees who live outside North Dakota can participate by going to the nearest NDUS/DoH testing site. However, testing closer to home is encouraged if it is available and distance prohibits travel to North Dakota.

Additional information with dates, locations, and times will be updated throughout the month, so please check the website often for the most current testing facts.

State Board of Higher Education Student Member Erica Solberg,the student representative on the State Board of Higher Education, urges students to take the COVID-19 test for positivity before classes start. She said each school has its own practice on staying safe on campus including social distancing and wearing face masks when that’s not possible, plus frequent hand washing.

With Behavior Health…

The North Dakota Department of Human Services’ Behavioral Health Division has a new resource available to help parents and caregivers in supporting children with back-to-school plans, whether that means returning to school full time, distance learning or a hybrid model. The new Parents Lead resource can help guide conversations with children to better prepare them for this school year.

Behavioral Health Division Director Pamela Sagness, points out that even with all the uncertainty, parents and caregivers can prepare their kids with healthy skills before returning school. Depending on age, these things can include setting expectations around handwashing, walking through different scenarios like returning to school but wearing a mask or distance learning plans.”

The new Parents Lead resource encourages parents and caregivers to provide a space for their child to talk about their questions and concerns, be honest about what to expect and lead by example.

Sagness suggests instead of highlighting what not to do, parents and caregivers can provide alternative behaviors for their children, such as a fun wave instead of a hug or pointing out the positives in situations that may be different, like eating lunch in the classroom.

She adds, “School leaders, parents and caregivers must make difficult decisions regarding back to school this year. Thank you to all parents and caregivers for working to ensure students are prepared for this school year while being ND Smart.”

Visit www.parentslead.org for this information and more.

Parents Lead, a North Dakota program administered by the department’s Behavioral Health Division, provides parents and caregivers a variety of tools and resources to support them in creating a safe environment for their children that promotes behavioral health. This is especially important throughout all the changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Another source of support during the pandemic continues to be Project Renew, a partnership between the department, the division and Lutheran Social Services of North Dakota. It provides services for North Dakotans to help them understand physical and emotional reactions to COVID-19, develop and improve coping strategies, review options and connect with other individuals and agencies that may be of assistance. The Project Renew hotline can be reached at 701-223-1510 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT, Monday through Friday. Individuals can also send an email to renew@lssnd.org.

Through Project Renew, Lutheran Social Services is offering a free, online group discussion about navigating the parenting challenges created by the pandemic titled, “Parenting in a Pandemic” on Aug. 13, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. CT. Visit Lutheran Social Services’ Facebook page for more information and to register at https://www.facebook.com/LutheranSocialServicesND/.

The division is responsible for reviewing and identifying service needs and activities in the state’s behavioral health system to ensure health and safety, access to services and quality services. It also establishes quality assurance standards for the licensure of substance use disorder program services and facilities and provides policy leadership in partnership with public and private entities. For more information visit www.behavioralhealth.nd.gov.

Governor Burgum’s next News Briefing is planned for Monday August 10, at 3:30-p.m.