As of today, Friday, October 21, Chaffee County Public Health (CCPH) has decided to sunset our local COVID-19 Data Dashboard.
For months, the only data that has been updated is hospital capacity and deaths due to COVID-19, and as COVID-19 is normalized and becomes part of our lives, the data that had been reported on in the past does not have the same meaning as it once did. But this does not mean that we will be without data.
COVID-19 delta variant. Image courtesy of WebMD
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) launched its own COVID-19 dashboard that is county-specific.
The CDC’s dashboard tracks the community level (case rate per 100,000 people, new COVID-19 admissions per 100,000 people, and the percent of staffed inpatient beds in use by patients with confirmed COVID-19), community transmission levels, cases and deaths, testing rates, vaccination rates, and hospitalizations.
“While we know that not every positive COVID-19 test is being recorded due to the rise of at-home rapid testing, the CDC’s data dashboard website is truly the most accurate at this time. Un-proctored rapid tests are not included in the transmission rates. As we continue to shift our response to COVID-19 with a routine disease control mindset, our local response strategies no longer hold the same value,” said Chaffee County Public Health Director Andrea Carlstrom. “Rest assured, we will be monitoring the CDC dashboard and consulting with our healthcare community on a regular basis and will inform the public about any alarming trends in the days to come.”
For Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center updates on COVID-19, visit www.hrrmc.com for the latest information. CCPH is maintaining living documents that contain all of the vaccine, testing, and treatment resources that can be found throughout the county. They can be found at https://www.chaffeecounty.org/Public-Health-Coronavirus.
The new COVID-19 bivalent Omicron mRNA (both Pfizer and Moderna) booster has been approved for ages 5 and up. CCPH has added appointments to meet the demand for this extra layer of protection against severe illness, hospitalization, and death as fall continues and winter nears.
In addition, On October 19, 2022, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) of Novavax as a first booster for adults aged 18 years and older who cannot or will not receive an updated mRNA booster. Novavax COVID-19 vaccine may be administered as a first booster dose to people at least six months after the completion of primary vaccination with an authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccine. CCPH does have Novavax in its inventory.
To make an appointment, call CCPH’s main phone number at 719-539-4510.
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