Hordes of people from outside the county, disrespect for social distancing, and public health mandatory mask orders. What’s next: a swift rise in Chaffee COVID-19 cases?
As out-of-county and out-of-state people streamed into Chaffee County this past weekend, it quickly became apparent that vast swaths of people are ignoring the state’s request to go no more than 10 miles from home, as the state deals with the impact of the coronavirus known as COVID-19. They are also ignoring Chaffee County’s announcement that the county is closed to outsiders until June 1 as it sets in place the processes to reopen business safely.
Just as concerning as the crowds, is this reality; it appears a considerable number of those streaming in, as well as county residents, are also ignoring the Chaffee County Public Health order that requires the wearing of masks in public, and social distancing guidelines.
As reported to Ark Valley Voice by readers, large swaths of people aren’t just ignoring the county’s rules. When this was pointed out, some have reacted belligerently, with rudeness and name-calling. Can violence be far behind?
In Buena Vista on Saturday, it appeared that some 70 percent or more of the people roaming Main St. and at major retail locations, weren’t wearing masks and were congregating in groups with no social distancing.
In Salida on Sunday, droves of people descended upon the river, and Riverside Park. In at least one case, a local business owner who told a group of 15 to disperse was called names, and a frightened Salida resident wondered if it was even safe to take a walk to the river.
What is this? Is it macho man syndrome? Is it childish rudeness?
Is it disrespectful for the science telling us that the only defense we have right now against a highly contagious virus is social distancing and masks?
Is it politics? We don’t have a blue virus and a red virus; we have a dangerous, deadly virus that doesn’t care about what party you belong to.
“You don’t wear a mask to protect you – you wear a mask to protect me, and every other person. I wear a mask to protect you,” said New York Governor Andrew Cuomo for probably the tenth time last Monday morning. “You could kill someone because you didn’t want to wear a mask.”
Chaffee County announced a phased reopening timeline, attempting to stem the flood of second homeowners and the deluge of tourists to this tourist-centric economy. The plan requires everyone in the county to wear a mask and practice social distancing. The timeline outlines a carefully-phased reopening timeline predicated upon COVID-19 case rates remaining low. If those cases rise, the timeline (some retail reopened May 1, second homeowners may return with 14-day mandatory social distancing, reopening restaurants and bars with proper social distancing May 16 and lodging and tourism on June 1) will need to change.
The Chaffee County Public Health Order 202-5 has teeth: Page 14 specifies that “failure to comply with this order is subject to penalties contained in section 25-1-516 and 18-1.3-501 of Colorado Revised Statutes, including a fine of up to $5,000 and imprisonment in the county jail for up to 18 months.”
As Chaffee Chair of the Board of County Commissioners, Greg Felt has reminded us, social distancing and wearing masks is part of the four-part COVID-19 containment strategy recommended by top epidemiologists. Reader comments on AVV articles this week are asking why the county isn’t enforcing the fines established for noncompliance with social distancing and mask rules.
The CDC working document, which came out Monday morning, contained the sobering warning that based on the way that the states are reopening, there could be as many as 3,000 deaths a day in the U.S. by June 1 and more than 120,000 deaths by fall. These are not the statistics of a contained virus. This is a 9-11 tragedy happening every single day.
“What is keeping the virus in check is social distancing,” Dr. Lena Wyn. She cautions that ICUs remain filled with very ill patients and that already-observed behavior could quickly overwhelm rural healthcare systems. As states reopen, she encourages Americans to keep a diary of the social contacts they have, so that if they become infected, contact tracing can be done.
President Donald Trump, who is out on the trail promoting reopening the country, puts it this way: “There’ll be more death.”
Just Monday afternoon, Chaffee County reported its first new positive case of COVID-19 with no connection to Columbine Manor (where most recent cases have occurred) since April 11, its 68th. The infected person is male, with a prior county address connected to the Department of Corrections, and the test was performed in a lab in northern Colorado. So far, he has not responded to attempts by Public Health to begin contact tracing, something that Chaffee Director of Public Health Andrea Carlstrom says is concerning. “Up to now, county residents have been so willing to cooperate to help us trace how the virus has spread. This is unusual.”
Wow thank you so much for this. Firstly I was so excited that our president does not feel good about how quickly things are moving. As someone who has a long term chronic illness I myself do not feel good about how some do not feel a need to follow the rules. What needs to be understood is that just because someone is healthy it does not mean they are immune to getting this and more importantly that they could be a carrier.
It is beyond intense to have this situation going on in our world. But I think my feelings on this are not in blame but in shedding a light on how far out of homeostasis things are. How humanities need to expand creates a loss in the homes of the animals and in a need to survive they have to adapt and move closer to us. Every single person who ever was born does not live in our world so no need to take more. Rebuilding the forests, taking care of all the various habitats of animals this could be a good start. The point of my rant is that unbalance can be a breeding ground for many things.
I find that I have to be on top of what is being said. I do not know the official websites though and where I can go to ask questions about things nationwide and also more local and area. Can anyone share this information with me? I would like to know what is being said about how we handle the food delivered to us what is needed to be fully safe. What about the elderly who are rather ill? Should they be going out of town for appointments? It is my understanding they are to stay at home unless it is an emergency matter. Is it okay to have others come do major renovations if you are a high risk individual and are told that you are to stay home now? Is it okay of others come by and not wear masks even if they are family?? I see things and then the questions arise. I feel the answers are no.
At this point, the public health order says that people should stay in their zip codes and unless absolutely necessary not to go further than 10 miles from home. Necessary would be things like important doctor’s appointments. Those with health conditions are encouraged to stay closer to home. Following Social distancing rules and wearing face masks are also recommended. As much as I’d love to see my grown children, and long to see my two-year-old twin granddaughters who live 2,500 miles away, seeing them now is the not time, both to keep them safe — and me safe. Nor would it be wise to see family members who don’t wear masks — you wearing a mask shows you respect the people with whom you come into contact; just as them wearing face masks shows that they respect you and your right to live. Better advice, call them, ask them to call you, get online and sign up for a free Zoom account so you can do a virtual family reunion…have them come by and wave through the windows. Write letters.
It’s our job to do the right thing during this unprecedented time. Just because Johnny doesn’t wear a mask doesn’t mean that I don’t respect strangers that I come into contact with while walking in the community and wear my mask and keep my distance. This principle is what an elementary school teacher tells her students. If Johnny is jaywalking, that doesn’t make it right. The sooner we all get this message, the sooner we can get our local economy back on track. Our mountain communities are trying to survive this shutdown. No one is immune to this virus.
I could understand this more if there were brought N95 masks for all of us. These cotton masks don’t do squat. All it does is shorten the distance Of the virus. If you are meant to get the virus you will. It is hot and hard to breath with the masks on. It also causes you to get less oxygen. I think if masks are mandatory we should be provided the correct masks. Plus it is not a law set in place. Therefore, we have a choice.
With the current shortage of PPE, N-95 masks should be reserved for those who are actually spending 10, 12, 14 hours a day taking care of people critically ill with COVID-19. They are at high risk.
Cloth masks do indeed to the job for which they are intended: to stop the transmission of droplets that might infect others with COVID-19, spread either through coughing or sneezing by a person who might not yet even known they are infected. Laboratory tests have shown that the output of a cough or a sneeze can travel as much as 12 feet from a person in a matter of 30 seconds; meaning that a person with the coronavirus known as COVID-19 is very liable to spread the disease unintentionally, simply by not maintaining a face covering.
Wearing a face mask doesn’t protect you – it protects the people you meet; just as them wearing a mask around you protects you. It’s a sign of respect.
Wearing a face maks in a public setting is a requirement both of the state executive order, and the Chaffee County Public Health Order. those, not following the law could be subject to a $5,000 fine or 18 months in jail.
It’s true we aren’t used to wearing masks. But it is a small price to pay to avoid getting or giving the virus to another person.
I live in Ranch of the Rockies, and work in BV. There was never a sign on 285 coming into Chaffee that said that the county was closed to non locals. If people do not know, how can we stop them? There is no info on the front range telling folks “Do Not Enter Chaffee County for Recreational Purposes”, or any other county, for that matter. Hard to keep them out, when there is no info or enforcement.
Roadblocks on US 50 and US 285? Non Chaffee County persons told to turn around and leave the county. This could be next.
Equating social distancing and facemasks to roadblocks is not a logical comparison. U.S 50 and U.S. 285 are the responsibility of the state (Colorado Dept. of Transportation) not the county. The county has had signs up at the edges of this county for many weeks, informing people that this county has been closed to visitors, while we try to conserve scarce rural resources to take care of full-time residents. It has become obvious that out-of-county and out-of-state people continue to ignore this county public health order. This week there are projections that the current 70,000 U.S. deaths from COVID-19 could double in the next 90 days. Until there is a vaccine, our only weapons right now are social distancing and face masks.
One has to assume that CCHD assigned a large fine to out of county violators for a reason.To enforce this would not be easy,but as the gentleman stated above maybe its time now.It should have been enforced from day 1.Two roadblocks staffed by out of work residents,with police backup capability,since the police can not do it.The county does not have the resources,neither beds,nor equipment to handle a potential surge.The same for social distancing and masks.If you can not abide by the law,then do not go out.This also could be staffed by out of work residents.We the residents are now put at potential risks because of non enforcement.the selfishness of others,and ignorance
Do it!
Tourists and front range recreators are coming to Salida with complete disregard to closure, health and safety guidelines. It’s a pandemic and not a vacation people. This selfish and in my opinion aggressive tourism has no welcome or place in Salida. If there is no self discipline or personal responsibility happening then let’s move to enforcement. That’s the
social contact that binds society.
Thank you for bringing light to this troubling development. I would love to see our community stay calm, wear masks, social distance and respect each other. This would allow us all to be in public in safe ways. This is our next step to normalcy. Unfortunately, we have far too many aggressive anti-safety people in this community who are making it impossible for the measured reopening to happen. They are ruining it for us all and harming local businesses in the process.
I think it’s important to wear a mask, but one shouldn’t have to wear one when walking down the street. Governor Cuomo doesn’t wear one.
Yes, Governor Cuomo does wear a mask Debbe. He addressed this question specifically last week. He takes it off to speak in front of the podium because he’s 12 ft away from the media.
When you go out and exercise, have your mask with you and put it on if you meet someone, but otherwise — run, jog, breath free — when you’re alone. But if you don’t think you should have to wear a mask walking down F street in downtown Salida or Main St. in Buena Vista, then what do you think social distancing is?
If you are walking down a commercial street and I meet you or anyone else, I expect you to be wearing a mask, as you should expect that of me. When I wear a mask, I am respecting and protecting you. When you wear a mask meeting me, you are respecting and protecting me. That’s the deal. This is a social contract. This disease can be asymptomatic — we don’t know who has it and it isn’t like there is actually testing so we can find out!
The death toll from COVID-19 is expected to duble in the next 90 days. If we fail to practice these safety measures and cases begin to rise here and more people die — then shame on all of us.