Thursday will mark two weeks since the CDC disseminated new mask guidance which led to wholesale changes in public health orders across the country.
Chaffee County has seen 23 new cases of COVID-19 in the past week, and 39 in the past 14 days. Of the past week’s cases, one patient has required hospitalization, and three were asymptomatic. The county’s two-week positivity rate is at 2.46 percent. More than 65 percent of cases in the past month have come from the county’s South end, including Salida and Poncha Springs.
“While we continue to make progress on vaccinating eligible members of our community, we are also seeing some increases in outbreaks, percent positivity, and serious cases requiring medical attention, hospitalization, or transport to a higher level of care,” commented Commissioner Greg Felt in a May 24 message to the county’s COVID-19 Leadership Roundtable. “To my mind, this is to be expected in the context of relaxed mask requirements. It is also something that deserves close and careful monitoring. CCPH is working to refine the data they receive and utilize so that our decision-making is informed by the most accurate and relevant local public health metrics possible.”
As of May 11, 19,403 COVID-19 doses have been administered to Chaffee residents. 57.4 percent of eligible Chaffee residents have gotten at least one dose of the vaccine, and 52.4 percent of residents have been fully immunized (a number that hasn’t risen in two weeks).
The county has seen 1,210 COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic. As of May 23, Colorado has seen 537,401 cases of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic. 406 new cases were reported on May 23, and the state has a two-week incidence of 216.1 per 100,000 people.
Courtesy of CCPH.
Chaffee County adopted an amended local Public Health Order on Tuesday, May 18 due to updated guidance issued by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the updated state-level public health level from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), and Governor Jared Polis’ updated Mask Mandate issued May 14.
According to the order, vaccinated individuals are not required to wear face coverings in most settings. But unvaccinated individuals ages 11 and up are still encouraged to wear face coverings indoors when non-household members are present and when required; including K-12 schools, childcare centers, congregate care and living facilities, most health care settings, and DMV offices.
Unvaccinated travelers should get tested for COVID-19 before and after travel and should self-quarantine per CDC recommendations.
Indoor events’ participants are capped at 65 percent capacity, not including necessary event staff, while outdoor events are capped at 2,000. Event planners must include COVID-19 mitigation details in their health and safety plan for their special event application. Schools and school-related activities follow state guidance, and non-school group sports and activities follow general event requirements.
The Chaffee County COVID-19 Leadership Roundtable is focused on leading the county out of the COVID-19 crisis, and while more cases were expected with the easing of the public health orders, there is concern over this sudden rise in cases. “We will continue to adapt to this dynamic situation and seek to achieve that balance between a vibrant, active community and a healthy one,” said Felt.
If and when the vaccination rate of Chaffee County residents exceeds 70 percent, CCPH will review the order in an effort to loosen restrictions. Should the hospital capacity at Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center exceed 85 percent due to COVID-19, CCPH will review the order and may impose additional restrictions if necessary.
Courtesy of CCPH.
Chaffee County’s updated COVID Code of Conduct:
Get vaccinated;
Stay home if sick;
Get tested if experiencing COVID-19 symptoms;
Wash your hands;
Respect the COVID-19 safety protocols for any individual business or organization;
Physically distance if unvaccinated, and wear a mask indoors and in crowded outdoor spaces if unvaccinated.
Chaffee County Public Health (CCPH) and the Chaffee County Board of Health have committed to reviewing the local Public Health Order regularly, at least once a month, and may modify requirements depending on the community’s metrics at that time.
Though CCPH has concluded its mass vaccination clinics, COVID-19 vaccinations are still available to the general public by appointment. Those seeking a first-dose vaccination appointment should contact CCPH at 719-539-4510 or health@chaffeecounty.org to schedule. A full list of vaccine providers can be found online.
Courtesy of CCPH.
Statewide as of May 18, 2.83 million Colorado residents have received their first dose, and 2.37 million Coloradans have been fully immunized.
CCPH continues to offer testing for COVID-19 throughout the county. Those seeking a COVID-19 test in Chaffee County can go online to see a full list of testing options. Positive cases are to read the isolation letter and follow the instructions until they meet the criteria to be released. Positive individuals should also begin contacting their close contacts and their employer and should send the quarantine letter.
Recent Comments