Gov. Burgum’s Wed. COVID-19 Briefing

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

 

Burgum was  joined by State School Superintendent Kirsten Baesler, State Contact Tracing Administrator Vern Dosch and NDDoH Immunizations Program Manager Molly Howell.

Burgum said the recently launched health.nd.gov#MaskupND campaign has received several photos of people wearing their masks, including healthcare workers.

He said the public needs to continue to be vigilant, as the positive testing cases are on the increase in North Dakota as he related the latest State Health Department.  400,000 tests have been given since the start of the pandemic.

NDDoH

COVID-19 Stats

Wed. Aug 19, 2020

11:45 -a.m.

Stutsman 1 New Positive

Stutsman  131 Total Positives

Stutsman 10 Active

Stutsman 38 Recovered

 

Barnes 1-New Positive

Barnes 48 Total Positives

Barnes Active 10

Barnes Recovered 38

COVID-19 Test Results
The results listed are from the previous day. Additional data can be found on the NDDoH website.

Thanks for your patience with the delay as we experienced a network issue this morning. Good news! We’ve refreshed our website dashboard and the daily report to make more data publicly available. Did we remove a number in our listing below that interested you? Check out the website for those numbers and more, including additional county-level data, then click the feedback button on the website to let us know what you think. As with any new technology upgrade, there’s sure to be minor setbacks so we thank you in advance for your patience while we perfect the dashboard with you in mind.

BY THE NUMBERS

4,862 – Total Tests from Yesterday*

406,733 – Total tests completed since the pandemic began

188 – Positive Individuals from Yesterday

Two individuals from Cass County were from out of state.

8,968 – Total positive individuals since the pandemic began

3.87% – Daily Positivity Rate**

 

1,209 – Total Active Cases

+40 Individuals from Tuesday

87 – Individuals Recovered from Tuesday

7,629 – Total recovered since the pandemic began

49 – Currently Hospitalized

+2 individuals from Tuesday

2 – New Deaths*** (130 total deaths since the pandemic began)

INDIVIDUALS WHO DIED WITH COVID-19

• Woman in her 70s from McLean County with underlying health conditions.
• Woman in her 90s from Grand Forks County with underlying health conditions.

COUNTIES WITH NEW POSITIVE CASES REPORTED WEDNESDAY

• Adams County – 1
• Barnes County – 1
• Benson County – 1
• Bottineau County – 1
• Bowman County – 3
• Burke County – 1
• Burleigh County – 42
• Cass County – 36
• Dunn County – 1
• Grand Forks County – 21
• Griggs County – 1
• Kidder County – 1
• McHenry County – 1
• McIntosh County – 1
• McLean County – 3
• Morton County – 11
• Pierce County – 2
• Ransom County – 2
• Richland County – 2
• Rolette County – 3
• Sioux County – 2
• Stark County – 16
• Stutsman County – 1
• Walsh County – 6
• Ward County – 20
• Wells County – 2
• Williams County – 6

 

* 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.

He said long term care facilities with a COVID-19 case, has the likelihood of spreading the virus to other residents, in close contact in the facility, who are at high risk, and many with underlying health conditions.  He urges those visiting those long term care facilities to make sure they are not infected with COVID-19.

Burgum pointed out the NDDoH web site’s new dashboard to access information.

The goal is to have testing available everyday in the Bismarck Mandan area by next week, the so called “hot spot,” with large numbers of positive case numbers.

The age group 20-29 year olds are being targeted by the COVID-19 Task Force, with information/education information.  He added that Stark County has had a surge in positive numbers, and is be watched.

Burgum said the -K-12 Response Team  is ready to respond in case of spikes in virus numbers, with students returning to school, some going back this week.

State School Superintendent Kirsten Baseler said the Department of Public Instruction is collaborating with the State Health Department, supporting a healthy return to learning.

She said the goal is to protect students and staff from the virus, including  experiences never previously encountered.  She said person health information is being protect, and only give to those that need to know.

She said local public school boards and health teams are working together, in developing back to school plans, and to continue flatten the curve.

Burgum said college students need to be tested within five days of returning to the campus, with testing sites available in the state.

He pointed out the new Care-19 Alert using blue tooth technology.

State Contact Tracing Administrator Vern Dosch, followed a video on the new contact tracing technology.  He said that the app has been an important tool in contact tracing, with a digital list of contacts.

NDDoH Immunizations Program Manager Molly Howell, explained isolation and quarantine  terminologies.   Those testing positive with COVID-19 need to stay home in isolation for ten days.  Those asymptomatic should stay in isolation for ten days.  A close contact to positive cases should stay home, in quarantine for 14 days, including staying out of the public.  Those individuals will tested again in quarantine,  and need to stay guaranteed for the full 14 days.  Household contacts may have to quarantined for up to 24 days.

Burgum said Interim Health Department Officer,  Dr. Andrew Stahl has resigned the position, to go into private medical practice in the Bismarck Mandan area. Stahl accepted the interim position on June 1, this year.   Burgum said an interim health officer, and permanent Health Department Officer are being search for.

The next COVID-19 News Briefing is planned for Wednesday, August 26 at 3:30-p.m.