HRRMC employees process samples taken from a person for COVID-19 testing May 7 at the hospital. HRRMC and Chaffee County Public Health offered free community testing by appointment. Tests were administered to 13 people, and results should be available in 2-3 days. All patients were instructed to isolate until their test results come in. The testing will be offered again next Thursday from 10 a.m. to noon. (Photo by Dan Smith)
The status of COVID-19 cases in Chaffee County remains unchanged, although one man was identified as a new case, whose prior status remains unclear. Chaffee County Health Department Director Andrea Carlstrom said Friday, May 8, that the unidentified young man with a local address had not been in the county lately, and has been isolating, apparently outside the county. The details behind his infection history were not immediately clear.
The total of local cases thus far, Carlstrom reported, is 68, with 53 of those concentrated at Salida’s Columbine Manor Care Center, including nine staff members, 28 living residents, one patient who was discharged home, and 15 patients who died from COVID-19. In the recent past, multiple requests to Columbine Manor for an interview with Director Joshua Finger, have not been answered.
In the state, a total of 18,317 COVID-19 cases have been identified, resulting in 3,557 people hospitalized, and 944 deaths. Carlstrom reported that more than 92,000 people statewide had been tested.
In her report on Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center (HRRMC), Dr. Erika Gelgand said there currently were no COVID-19 positive patients at the hospital, which is operating at about 25 percent capacity. The hospital is gradually opening up services such as elective surgeries and testing.
She emphasized that the facility is “an incredibly safe environment,” noting none of the 41 employees tested were positive for the virus. She said a two week supply exists for all necessary protective equipment. Gelgand said people’s fears of coming to the hospital over the virus might cause some to put off checks for even serious health conditions such as stroke or heart attack. She said some people have died at home needlessly over fears of contracting the virus.
Carlstrom said the Public Health Department and Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center partnered for virus testing, by appointment only, on Thursday, May 7. A total of 13 people were tested. Results are expected to take a few days. More testing will be available next week.
In response to reports of increased tourism visits, still discouraged by statewide order, Carlstrom said it was “extremely disappointing” to see visitors not heeding Governor Polis’ order that they not come to mountain communities and recreate with 10 miles of their own home.
The department continues to push out messaging encouraging residents and visitors to wear protective masks and keep proper distancing to prevent the spread of the virus in the community.
She said, “…enforcement is a challenge, so we must all do our part to be responsible and accountable for these very simple requirements.” “Let’s not forget the weeks of sacrifice we’ve all made to get us to a place where we could safely and gradually re-open. We all need to do our part. Today’s new normal must include social distancing, the wearing of a mask by all and the elimination of large gatherings,” she continued, noting many guidelines were not being followed previously nor are they currently. The pandemic, she stressed, is not over.
Emergency Medical Services director Josh Hadley echoed those sentiments, noting that across the country, coronavirus deaths had increased by 26,000 nationwide in just the last two weeks; about 2,500 in the previous 24 hours, to more than 76,000. “This pandemic is still taking lives,” he noted. Meanwhile, with the reduction in local infections, he said the call volume for typical emergency services has increased.
Commissioner Greg Felt said that entering the eighth week of the pandemic crisis, the county task force has been more focused on the economic side of the equation. He said people needed to recognize how much work Carlstrom and her staff have done to interpret state government orders and adapt to what will work locally.
Felt said he thought the impact of losing some of our hometown businesses is felt more intensely in an isolated community. In the past two weeks, he said the county has worked with businesses, the Economic Development Corporation (EDC) and others. Discussions have centered on ‘the gap between the ideal and the real,’ he said. He wanted to encourage businesses and employees to be the standard-bearers and an example of the best practices to visitors and residents alike and to help guarantee safety for the most vulnerable populations.
Carlin Walsh of the EDC board described working with the health department and commissioners to get the local economy moving stably and safely. He said they were ‘walking a very fine line’ between economic stability and public health and safety.
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