Town Talk: A conversation with Rick Farrall, Deputy Emergency Manager

Town Talk is a series on Royal Examiner where we will introduce you to local entrepreneurs, businesses, non-profit leaders and political figures who influence Warren County. Topics will be varied but hopefully interesting. If you have an idea, topic, or want to hear from someone in our community, let us know. Send your request to news@RoyalExaminer.com

In this Town Talk, we’ll have a conversation with Rick Farrall from the Warren County Department of Fire Rescue Services.  Rick wears many hats in Warren County. He is the Cost Recovery Manager and the Deputy Emergency Manager to name just a few.

Rick shared the following with us.

1. What is the Current COVID-19 Case Information:

a. Lord Fairfax Health District: As of today (per the VDH website), there are 144 confirmed COVID-19 cases (Clarke 5, Frederick 71, Page 6, Shenandoah 23, Warren 19, Winchester 20); the current status of these patients is unknown (admitted to hospital, discharged to home isolation/quarantine, departed the District/County). As of yesterday, no deaths reported in the LFHD.

b. Commonwealth: 42763 patients were tested; 6171 cases; 978 were hospitalized; 154 deaths. The total cases comprise 14.4% (slight increase) of the tested Commonwealth population; hospitalizations and deaths comprise 2.6% (increase) of the tested Commonwealth population.

a. Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), University of Washington, Model:

i. As of today, this model predicts our peak medical use in the United States was April 10, 2020, and in Virginia, it will be April 27, 2020. The “bottom of the curve” for Virginia is depicted in mid-June 2020; this likely puts Warren County a few weeks later.

ii. This is not an official government site but provides a model for planning reference.

c. United States: As of April 13, 2020, there are 554,849 total cases and 21,942 total deaths (4.0% to total cases) attributed to COVID-19; this data is updated each weekend.

2. What are the Key Messages for the Public:

a. Frequently: Wash your hands frequently, don’t touch your face, and wear a cloth face-covering in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies); these three things alone will slow the spread of the virus and significantly reduce personal risk of infection. Discuss the proper use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

b. Near Term: Stay home; only leave your residence for essential reasons, or for exercise, per the Governor’s social distancing requirements.

c. Mid Term: If you are a “Person Under Investigation” (PUI) or a confirmed COVID-19 patient, please respect the quarantine instructions from your physician for both you and your entire household; if you need assistance, reach out to your neighbors and friends –this is a great opportunity for all of us to come together as a community and support each other through this crisis.

d. Long Term: Support local businesses as much as possible; this could make the difference between the business surviving the crisis or having to close permanently.

e. Bottom Line: We are all in this for the long-haul; expect the effects of the virus to last through the summer.

3. What Can I Do to Prepare Myself and My Family:

a. Slowly stock up to have one to two weeks of supplies on hand at home; this will enable you to be self-sufficient if you need to be quarantined
i. Most that are infected with the Coronavirus will have mild to moderate symptoms (2-14 days after exposure: fever, cough, shortness of breath)

b. If you have unique family circumstances, please register for Smart 911 – Smart911.com
i. It’s free, private, and secure.
ii. It provides our 911 operators with critical information regarding your household, address and location, medical information, and other information provided

4. Where Can I go for Updated COVID-19 Information:

a. U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) – search “CDC COVID-19”; information is updated daily, numbers are updated on the weekend

b. Virginia Department of Health (VDH) – search “VDH COVID-19”; information is updated daily, numbers are updated daily by 10:00 am

c. Valley Health – search “Valley Health COVID-19”; locally care the Respiratory Care Phone Line at (540) 536-0380 (M-F 8a-8p, Sa 9a-6p)

d. Warren County – note: there are 14 Warren Counties in the U.S., search “Warren County VA Coronavirus latest information”

e. Town of Front Royal – search “Front Royal COVID-19”; call the local COVID-19 Helpline at (540) 622-0555

i. Helpline gives you six (6) options: (1) COVID-19 symptoms, (2) Senior citizen assistance, (3) Unemployment info, (4) Small Business support, (5) Town payment options, (6) General Message; we will expand this to include County options in the future