Carroll County, MD CCG 24 News, 19 Mar 2020

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From YouTube: Carroll County Press Conference COVID 19 March 29 2020 HD

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Okay, good afternoon, everybody good. I want to always make sure that.

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Everybody's good everybody's got a good signal: okay, good thumbs up. Thank you and.

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Appreciate the the social distancing here this afternoon, I'm president of.

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Carroll county's board of commissioners steve lance, and I got to tell you I'm.

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Sad to be here this afternoon, we have been all in with this, and I the first.

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Thing I need to do is thank our governor and his staff for the amazing decisions.

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And all of the all of the things that have been coming down from his office, we.

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Couldn't do that without him and he's been an amazing leader and we'll.

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Continue to do so to get us all through this, but, as all of you know, carroll.

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County is now, unfortunately, on the map, unlike the map that we'd like to be on.

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Let's be clear, we had an incident at one of our nursing facilities and you'll.

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Hear more about that in a moment and it's important for the public to know.

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The details of what is going on down there so that we can alleviate some of the some of the hysteria and some of the.

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Other things that go along with the associated thoughts and concerns that.

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That community has, I want to start off first by reading a statement from the.

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Mayor of mount airy, the honorable, pat rock and burg, and I.

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Would like to to to say this on his behalf that the town of mount airy sends.

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Prayers for healing to all those impacted by this global pandemic in our.

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Community and in communities across the world, we send prayers for protection and.

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Strength to all health care workers and first responders, who are tirelessly.

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Working to save lives on the front lines he's thanking us, the carroll county.

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Board of commissioners and his thank myself for their for our unwavering.

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Leadership and support during what can only be referred to as an unprecedent.

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Unprecedented and uncertain time we are confident.

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Swift and strategic response taken to address the outbreak at pleasant view.

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Nursing home and we will continue to look at measures to protect our fellow.

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Citizens locally, we are following our emergency operations plans and he.

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Continues to make sure that all are in thoughts and prayers. So that's from the.

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Mayor of mount airy- and I got to say, carroll county- is a little bit different.

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Than other jurisdictions, we actually have eight municipalities that we are.

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Also responsible for and all eight of those municipalities, including the.

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Mayors have been instrumental in the collaboration as we work together to.

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Combat this unfortunate this unfortunate pandemic. Lastly, before I turn this over.

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I have a statement from one of my colleagues who is the actual district.

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Commissioner, for that area, in mount airy and in these moments, this is from.

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Commissioner, eric boucher, and this in it is in moments as this. We need the.

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Reassurance and commitment of our public officials, though the news before us, is a.

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Shock so close to home amongst loved ones. I can confidently say that all the.

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Latest in medical procedures and protocol are being executed for the.

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Safety of our community state resources and personnel from the department of.

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Health are working closely with local officials to contain the infection.

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Within the facility, we need to give a huge shout out to all that have been.

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Involved and you'll hear from a couple of these folks. In a moment we have.

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Emergency medical personnel that have been on the scene and transporting these.

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Individuals, all of them have been in from day one the first minute that this.

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Went down in the proper personal protective equipment, so we are.

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Applauding all of our ambulance and fire folks for doing that to need to give a.

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Shout out to two of my team members in fire and ems here: eddie ruck and david.

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Coe both are representatives of the carroll county volunteer, emergency.

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Services, association and they have been instrumental in making sure we get.

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Through this as well, I'm pleased to have with me here this afternoon.

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Law enforcement also, who has been all in with this- I have.

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My major of the sheriff's department, major rich heart and my lieutenant.

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Little local maryland state police barrack, the tenant record, rebecca bosley.

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Who has a message at this time? Lieutenant.

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Afternoon everybody I'm rebecca bosley on the commander. The real estate police.

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Barrack of westminster for everybody's information: this is a.

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Multi-Jurisdictional effort, we have a great partnership with all local police.

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Agencies to include the carroll county sheriff's office, the area where this.

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Outbreak occurred is in the jurisdiction of the maryland state police. With that.

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Being said, I went to, I want to explain everybody that we will enforce governor.

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Hogan's executive order, we're asking everybody to calm down and to realize.

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That this is a private property and that anybody trespassing on this property.

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Will be arrested for trespassing unless they are duly allowed to be on the.

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Property we're asking for everyone's cooperation now we're asking for.

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Everyone to have an understanding, as this goes forward, I, along with major.

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Hart in the sheriff's office, a mountain area police department are out at this.

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Location and ensuring the safety is taking and the precautions are taken to.

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Ensure the public is not interfering and they are also safe. If we could all.

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Expect that, and we can all agree to that and have an understanding that we don't.

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Need anybody in cursing on this property that would be appreciated. The sheriff's.

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Office and I stand together in this message to have an understanding that we.

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Will not allow trespassers to go on to the nursing homes property. Thank you.

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Thank you, and now, let's get to the details, I am blessed as the leader of.

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The county to have such tremendous people behind me in order to get through.

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This unfortunate circumstance- and the first person I want you to hear from- is.

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An amazing individual who I don't think has slept in about a week now, but I'd.

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Like to introduce my carroll county health department officer, mr. ed singer,.

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Thanks, commissioner- and I want to just- I guess- thank law enforcement for what.

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They're doing the one thing that I'd emphasize is I don't understand why.

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Anybody would want to be down there at the property right now we're trying to isolate folks who are in that facility, because there are quite a number of.

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People who are sick and they need to be taken care of, but there'd, be no reason.

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For anybody who's not providing a delivery or providing a service there on.

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That property to be there so from from a health standpoint, it's it's there.

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There's not any sense in anybody being out there, so the facility's pleasant.

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View nursing home that's in mount airy. I think many people were already aware.

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That it's a comprehensive care facility with 104 beds. We had two positive cases.

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Reported on march, the 27th and 64 additional cases were reported on march.

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The 28th there are total of 66 residents that had tested positive for the cova 19.

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Virus- and I don't think it's extremely unusual to see something like this when.

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It's when it's unknown to spread through a nursing home. This way we're awaiting.

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Additional results for the remaining residents and in symptoms death. There.

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Are 11 people who were hospitalized some at carroll hospital, some of frederick.

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One of the residents, a man in his 90s unfortunately, last last night, was our.

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Was our first death this man in his 90s passed away yesterday evening he had a.

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Lot of underlying health conditions, the facilities complying with the with the.

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Federal and state guidance regarding infection control, including isolation of.

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Residents presenting any symptoms of covin 19 and there they're screening.

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Staff when they come in and taking the other protective measures that are.

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Required some asymptomatic residents have have tested positive.

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So all staff are wearing full ppe at our direction. We are ensuring, through the.

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Strategic national stockpile and through our emergency management channels that.

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We're able to provide adequate ppe we're also working very closely with the.

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Facility, one of the things that's important is ppe, is in short supply.

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Everywhere that we can serve this ppe and make sure that there's enough to go.

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Around for people who really need it, but we are, we are ensuring that they.

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Have adequate ppe to deal with with the patients there that they have to care.

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For we provided additional gowns face shields, gloves and masks for people.

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Within the facility, we're also trying to assist the facility because they're.

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Struggling because and some other staff haven't been able to report the they're.

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Struggling to be able to do their administration and to be able to staff.

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And take care of their patients so we're assisting them and trying to work.

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Through some of their administrative issues and being able to adequately care.

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For their patients, we appreciate the support of all of our community partners.

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Who provide compassionate care for the residents of carroll county, and this.

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Facility carol, hospitals really stepped up to the plate. They've done a lot.

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Throughout this whole pandemic, as we've gotten started, they've they've stood up.

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Testing anything that I've needed. I know that I can reach out to the president.

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And vice president of our hospital, who have these roles and life bridges.

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Executive vice presidents and the lifebridge system as well, and that.

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They'll they'll be there for us and they'll provide whatever assistance. They.

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Can- and I know, they're under a lot of stress at this point in time and we're.

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All trying to prepare for what might be ahead of us as far as potential for a.

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Surge, so I can't thank them enough for their support. The carroll county board.

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Of listeners and our emergency management here, carroll county have been very instrumental in assisting the health.

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Department and in meeting the needs of our community and our ems system that.

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The commissioner already mentioned, and dave coach just, uh I think, he's a.

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Godsend and he's been extremely helpful to us and anything that we've needed.

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They've been doing the things that they need to do to protect themselves, because.

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The last thing we need, and we've heard about it from happening in other places,.

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In this country is, is for our ems to potentially become sick and then the.

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Weak in that system, but by wearing proper ppe they know they can be.

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Properly protected and and they're doing a great job with that and they're.

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Providing whatever other support, we've we've needed whenever we've asked so.

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We've been doing a lot of coordination, state, police and other law enforcement.

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That I mentioned that they're working with us very well as as well we're.

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Working with our local and state partners to ensure that the patients are.

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Receiving the appropriate care in this facility and that they're being taken.

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Care of so one of the things I wanted to mention is the facility is not moving.

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Patients in or out of the facility, except when, when there's an emergent.

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Need for a higher level of medical care to transport, so there are no patients.

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Going in or out of this facility at this point in time, I also wanted to talk.

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About because I've heard some concerns from people in the community- and I just kind of wanted to put this out there- that you know this is an outbreak within.

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A facility and we're doing what we can to contain the outbreak within the.

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Facility but there's really nothing more other than what the governor's talked.

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About with with everybody in the community about social distancing,.

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Following those types of protocols and then staying at home, that we would want.

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To do any differently here in this part of the county than any other part of the.

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County, so this is relatively contained that you know as an outbreak within a.

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Facility- it's not something that the commune to be overly alarmed about and we're doing everything that we can to address.

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It so thank you all for your time and I'll turn it back over to the.

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Commissioner, thank you and I will take some questions after this is over, but.

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Another tremendous partner in this whole effort, as mr. singer has pointed out, is.

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Our local hospital carroll hospital center who's part of the lifebridge.

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System has been just without a better word amazing in this whole thing. At this.

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Point I would like to introduce and she's got a lot of titles, so she's the.

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Executive director, the president, the vice president, and she is the she's, the.

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Face of carroll hospital center leslie simmons. Thank you all.

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It is indeed humbling to be here this afternoon together, carroll hospital in.

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Lifebridge health has been in constant communication with the county health.

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Department, our amazing partners and pleasant view, nursing home. We are.

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Working desperately to try to coordinate all that they need for their residents.

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We have been providing staff support, supplies anything necessary to try to.

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Help them provide the care, as well as continue to pray, to try to prepare.

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Ourselves for any influx and patients that we may have at carroll hospital, our.

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Goal is absolutely without a doubt to stop the spread of the virus and to.

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Protect the members of our community and provide the best possible care that we.

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Can for our community? I have to tell you. I am so grateful to be a part of this.

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Team in a part of this county that rallies together to support one another.

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And provide for this community. I'm also exceedingly grateful for the.

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Caregivers that proudly and prepared lee take care of the patients that are.

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Coming to our facilities force to seek help, so what I would ask of you is to.

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Please be mindful of our current guidelines. Please continue to have good.

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Social distancing, stay home stay home, so we can stop the spread of.

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This virus- I will let you know that we are what, under the current guidelines.

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For kovat 19's test night koba, 19 testing, and if you need to seek care for.

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Respiratory symptoms, here is what I would advise you to do. If you have no.

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Symptoms, you do not need to be tested. If you have mild symptoms, you should stay.

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Home and monitor your symptoms, you do not need to be tested if, in fact, your.

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Symptoms worsen contact, your health care provider who can help you decide if you.

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Do need testing if your symptoms, worsen or if you are aged over 65, have other.

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Medical issues or your immune compromised call your health care.

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Provider, even if your illness seems mild, you are at a higher risk of severe.

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Illness from kovat 19 and your health provider will help you decide if you.

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Need testing and, of course, without a doubt if your symptoms become severe or.

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You have trouble breathing seek immediate medical care if you think you.

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Have been in contact with someone with kovin 19 and now have symptoms, contact.

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Your healthcare professional for guidance and make sure you get your.

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Information from reliable sources there's a lot of information out there.

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Our health department, our carroll county health department, is prepared to respond.

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To your questions, they have the cova 19 call center. It's.

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Currently open 7 days a week, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. the number for one zero, eight seven.

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One four, eight four, eight! Thank you. Oh excuse me for one. Oh, eight, seven, six.

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Four, eight four, eight again for one: oh, eight, seven, six, four, eight.

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Four eight. Thank you. Okay, on behalf of my colleagues, commissioners,.

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Weaver fraser, boucher and rothstein, who are all in this with me. We can't say.

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Enough look: this is a novel virus, one with no cure no vaccine highly.

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Contagious and let's be clear, it's deadly as you've heard from from edie.

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And leslie you have got to make sure that you are doing your social.

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Distancing I've had reports from around the county from some of our bigger box.

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Stores where aisles were packed with people, I'm just not sure what folks are.

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Not understanding about this deadly pandemic, you have got to make sure that.

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You are protecting not only yourself, but when you go home, your family, your your.

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Your moms and dads your grandparents, your kids, your neighbors, please, we can't.

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Say it enough and governor hogan has said it more than he wants to say it and.

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We're supporting again everything that he's doing. You have got to make sure.

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That you are only going out when you have to with that note. I'd like to thank.

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Everyone that is affected by this- and we are all in this together and if there.

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Are any questions we'll take them right now? Yes, ma'am.

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Okay, it's a question about residents and staff and the positive test ad you want.

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To take that one, so at this point the sixty-six positive positive cases that.

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We were are reporting are all patients residents of the nursing facility. We.

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Were not aware of any positive test for any of the staff anyone else over here.

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Sure edy, if this is a question about staffing at the facility, is that correct.

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And you want to take that so I can. I can only make assumptions. You know people.

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Are afraid at this point in time and the question is about staffing at the.

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Facility and wise staff aren't showing up I'm certain that some people are.

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Afraid you know we have 66 infected individuals who were are or were at the.

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Nursing home some of these have been transported to the hospital at this point in time, and this is extremely serious because of the vulnerable nature.

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If somebody's in a nursing home they're there for underlying medical conditions,.

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So we have 66 people who, with underlying medical conditions, who who are infected.

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With this virus, so I you know some people may have some type of mild.

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Symptoms or whatnot that that are that are not reporting to work for, for.

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Reasons that are that are truly legitimately medical, but they're.

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Probably also folks who are, who are afraid, and it may not be reporting to.

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Work because they're calling it and saying that there's self reporting that.

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They're sick because because they're afraid to be in the facility now, we've.

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Been working really hard and I'd encourage folks, we've been working.

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Really hard to try to find support for the nursing home we've we've reached out.

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To the temp agencies and things of that nature to make sure that they have.

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Adequately, adequately staffed nursing support and nursing assistants support.

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Maryland response is still out there and and we've been trying to pull on members.

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Of maryland, response we've reached up at the state level to try to get volunteers.

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And we're doing everything we can to support the staffing. That's there at.

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This private nursing facility, through any means, that's available, so I you know.

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Personally, I think that there's probably a lot of this is fear. I don't know that.

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That I can't tell you numbers that are or aren't really sick. The the bottom.

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Line is, though, we certainly don't want people who are sick coming in to work anywhere, and so we have to take people's word for it and.

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And then the facilities having to figure out how to deal with their with their.

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Staffing shortages, okay, yes, ma'am.

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Which one of you want that one? That question is in reference to the.

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Transport of patients to various facilities lesley. Yes, so we actually had.

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Patients transported to two facilities last night and actually the day before.

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And you know when you're transporting patients- and you have a high volume like.

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That you're trying to get them to the closest hospital but also spread it out.

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As we try to manage the surge, so in fact 11 patients are at carol.

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Hospital and six patients went to frederick yes, ma'am.

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So preventive measures after that first outbreak idi, that's a question for you.

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So we I can't remember what day it is right now, so the question is where other.

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Measures put into place- and you know to the best of our knowledge, the facility.

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Was doing everything they were supposed to be doing up up front? We actually went.

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Down and made a site visit after we had our first positives, because we wanted to.

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Go down and kind of put an eye on what they were doing from an infection.

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Control control standpoint and whether there were any things we thought they.

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Could do to improve and we generally found that the the facility was doing.

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Most everything they were supposed to be doing. We had a couple of minor.

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Suggestions for them, the again comes back to the most difficult thing is: is.

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For them to maintain their staffing, so there they've actually increased since.

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Since the outbreak was detected, we've increased their level of ppe. I reached.

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Out to them- and I advised them that they needed to to be wearing full ppe. They.

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Had been wearing m95 masks, but they, but they weren't in full, gown and and face.

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Protection then and gloves at all times. But because the number of cases that we.

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Have in the facility, we thought that it was prudent that that everybody.

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Including you know, everybody from the folks who are working in dietary to.

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Their maintenance folks to anybody that was going to be working within that.

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Facility be protected so that they didn't potentially become infected and.

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Not be able to continue to provide the critical services that they need to.

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Support these patients in this in this difficult situation. Thank you.

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Okay, what one more.

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What communications with the families of those affected? So the question was about.

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The communication with the families who are who are affected and really this is.

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A private nursing facility there, the patients, are clients of the private.

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Nursing facility, so when it comes to dealing with with their with their loved.

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Ones and the family members that are in the facility, the staff at the at the.

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Nursing home we're having to deal with those questions now you know they're.

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They're under a lot of stress right now- and I know families have a lot of questions and I would really encourage people to minimize the the amount of.

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Calls that they're making to to the facility itself, if you have general.

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Questions about kovan 19:00, I would get it encourage you the same thing that.

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Lesley simmons encouraged you to do, go ahead and call the health department's.

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Hotline, that's why we've got it staffed. We can try to answer those general.

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Questions it's for one: oh, eight, seven, six, four, eight four, eight, but you know.

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Specific questions related to a loved one. That's in the nursing home we're not.

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Going to be able to answer that because we're not directly caring for the patients, those have to be answered by the the staff at the nursing home. But I.

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Do ask everyone to please keep in mind. This is a extremely stressful for the.

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Staff that are on site trying to provide care with this number of sick.

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Individuals, it's a lot more work for them and any calls that you that people.

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Make if they're unnecessary, take away from time that they can actually care.

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For the loved ones, who are actually there in the facility, so I would you.

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Know would say that you know you do need to ask the nursing home specifically, but.

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Encourage you to try to limit that as much as you can and the health.

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Department has regular regular contact with the nursing home about a number of.

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Things- and I and I've specifically said there's one point of contact for the.

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Health department, everybody gives that person their questions and then we call.

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And it limits the amount of time that they have to spend in answering things.

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So if we could try to help them out by keeping that in mind, that would be great.

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Okay, these folks will be around after if there is anyone that has specific.

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Questions as long as you keep your your distancing thing in mind, police will.

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Provide that ability for you to be able to talk to them look. This has been.

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Something that's really been taxing our resources here in carroll, we never.

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Thought that we would be in a position like this, with with an incident of this.

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Magnitude but but trust me when I say we're all in this and all of us as you.

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Can see by the partners that I have here today are doing every possible thing.

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That they can to ensure that it stays on that facility number one, and that.

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Everyone in this county remains protected in the most way that they can.

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But we can't do that without the public's help. Again, I can't- and I can't.

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Say it enough, please practice social distancing and we implore everyone to.

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Please go by the guidelines that have been set forth, but by not only to even.

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Individual counties around the state, but governor hogan as well. We won't get.

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Through this, unless we do that- and I think it's very important to know that.

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Until everyone starts to pay attention and do what they're told we're not going.

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To get through this, we've got to do it as quickly as we can, and that means.

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Paying attention to what has been said so again, I want to thank all of those.

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That came out today. This is a again an unfortunate situation that we are in.

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Here in carroll, but I'm very proud of the fact that we are working very very.

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Hard to to mitigate the situation here again, thank you I want to. I want to.

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Implore everyone please stay safe this. This is. This is, unlike anything, we've.

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Ever seen before, and we've got to all work on this together, okay, a couple.

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Folks will be here if you need afterwards, and I again thank you. Thank.

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You very much for your participation today.