GNM_05-06-2020

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May 6, 2020

UPSP 213-200 Vol. 155, No. 50

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Local nurses help with testing at Triumph Foods of St. Joseph Results from comprehensive testing for COVID-19 of employees and contact workers of Triumph Foods in St. Joseph have been completed, and Daviess County Health Department (DCHD) nurses were among those assisting. Kristie Smith, RN, and Racail King, RN, aided Buchanan County Health Department with notifying the cases and contact tracing. Triumph has about 2,800 employees at the meatpacking plant. On April 27, comprehensive testing of asymptomatic employees began in the parking lot of the plant. As of May 3, 373 employees and contract workers of Triumph Foods, who presented for testing sample collection with no related symptoms, had received positive results for COVID-19. The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) partnered with the City of St. Joseph Health Department, Northwest Health Servic-

es, and Mosaic Life Care to offer COVID-19 testing to all employees and contract staff at Triumph Foods. Staff from surrounding local public health agencies assisted. The two DCHD nurses helped at Triumph Foods on April 29 and were called back to help with contact tracing of those determined to be close contacts of the positive cases on May 4. The Daviess County nurses worked with other health departments in Region H (Nodaway, Tri-County, Harrison, Grundy) who also sent one to three nurses. “Our team was able to complete calls and tracings on 60 people,” said Cheryl Alexander, administrator at the Daviess County Health Department. “That may not sound like a lot, but this all takes time and paperwork.” Any employees of the meat processing plant still seeking testing could do so through the mobile testing site operated by Northwest Health Services.

Special salute to healthcare nurses with flyover today, drive-bys this week Perhaps National Nurses Week has never had quite the impact in the United States as now during the pandemic. The official designation is May 6-12. The annual celebration of health care workers is more important than

Mobile food drop to be at Gallatin Food Bank Second Harvest Community Food Bank out of St. Joseph will hold a Fresh Mobile Pantry at the Seventh Day Food Bank in Gallatin at 10 a.m. on Thursday, May 7. The Daviess County Food Bank is housed within the Gallatin Adventist Community Services Center located at 1210 Willow Street; enter off East Burns to South Willow. The mobile pantry is open to the general public while supplies last. The food drop is used when Second Harvest has an excess of produce and is a one-time event.

For the food drop there are no income requirements and no area residential requirements. Cindy Jones at Seventh Day Food Bank says those Daviess County residences seeking assistance can line up in their cars to get the fresh produce; they do not have to go inside. The fresh produce varies and depends on what is on hand. Follow the Facebook page for updates regarding changes in hours, fresh produce, and extra food postings. The webpage is www.foodbankdaviess-county.net.

One active case of Covid-19 in county; two recovered as pandemic continues The Department of Health and Senior Services reported one new case of COVID-19 in Daviess County on May 2, bringing the total to three, according to the Daviess County Health Department. Two of the cases have recovered. The person with the third case, the only active case in Daviess County, and his/her contacts are staying home until released by medical personnel to resume regular activities. If you have not been contacted then you are not a contact to this case. As of Monday, May 4, the Daviess County Public Health Emergency Order put into place on April 6, 2020, was rescinded. Daviess County will adhere to the Governor’s order starting May 4. You can read the entire order and guidelines at www. showmestrong.mo.gov. Upon meeting with the Daviess County Commissioners and Daviess County Emergency Management Director the health department does hereby highly recommend that you follow the guidelines and order set forth by Missouri Gov. Mike Parson beginning May 4, 2020: • Adhere to social distancing

Coronavirus Update Confirmed Cases to Date

Grundy County............................ 0 Daviess County........................... 3 Caldwell County.......................... 3 Gentry County............................. 1 Livingston County........................ 3 Dekalb County............................. 3 Harrison County.......................... 6 Clinton County........................... 11 Missouri 8,916 cases, 377 deaths

Source: Missouri DHSS as of 8:30 a.m. May 5

USA: 1.23M confirmed cases, 164K recoveries, 72,023 deaths Worldwide: 3.66M confirmed cases, 1.2M recoveries, 257K deaths

Source: Wikipedia; Daily situation reports available via the World Health Organization.

COVID-19 Hotline:

877.435.8411

of six feet at all times if able. • Avoid large gatherings. • Implement personal protective measures such as staying home when sick, frequent hand washing, mask if you need to be closer than six feet and routine cleaning of surfaces. • Remain home if you are sick except to seek medical treatment. • Persons at high risk who are immunosuppressed or of

advanced age are advised to remain sheltered at home as much as possible and avoid large groups. • Businesses continue to permit employees who are capable to work from their residence or regular place of abode. • Businesses/Restaurants follow the guidelines set forth by the governor but use enhanced precautionary measures if you cannot maintain six feet (for answers to questions about enhanced precautionary measures, call the health department). • Per governor’s order people shall not visit nursing homes, long-term care facilities, retirement homes or assisted living homes unless to provide critical assistance or end-of-life measures. This is not a Public Health Order but simply recommendations to go along with the order and guidelines set forth by Governor Parson. Please use precautions as instructed above to do your part to help stop the spread of COVID-19. Daviess Countians must continue to be vigilant as this situation is ever evolving and can easily reverse to more cases.

ever as they battle to protect the vulnerable and save lives amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Aircrews from the Missouri Air National Guard’s 139th Airlift Wing were scheduled to fly over medical facilities in the Northwest Missouri region May 6, as a show of solidarity in support of healthcare workers and all essential employees who are helping to combat COVID-19. The flyover would consist of two C-130 Hercules cargo aircraft based at Rosecrans Air National Guard Base. The aircrews would fly over medical facilities in the following order starting at noon: Atchison Hospital, St. Luke’s North Hospital Smithville and Barry Road, North Kansas City Hospital, Liberty Hospital, Cameron Regional Medical Center, and Mosaic Medical Center St. Joseph. County Health staff Daviess County Health Department at 609 South Main Street in Gallatin, offers a wide range of patient services, from immunizations to blood draws

and pregnancy tests. WIC clinics and breastfeeding support and counseling are available. Other services cover everything from birth and death certificates to sewer permits. In addition, the Health Department participates in emergency planning and preparedness to respond to health threats, as well as man-made and natural disasters. Visit their website at www.daviesshealthonline.com for more information. On the frontlines Courtney Ranae Adkison is technically not a nurse she tells us, but she is certainly one of the front-line workers battling COVID-19 and deserves to be recognized. Courtney is a Registered Re- Courtney Adkison spiratory Therapist. She has been employed at Harrison County Community Hospital for 10 years. She graduated from

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Daviess County Health Department staff members, from left, are: Kristie Smith, MSN-RN; Cheryl Alexander, RN-Administrator, Racail King, RN, and Debbie Gatton, LPN., and School nurse Sarah Clark, RN (inset photo)

Staff at Daviess County Nursing & Rehab Mandy Williams, RN

Sierria Jones, RN

Hailey Toney, LPN

Katie Constant, RN

Julie Holcomb, LPN

Debra Adams, LPN

Director of Nursing

Suzanna Ott, RN

(graduating RN)


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