A giant heart and thank you sign were left anonymously on a door of the Touber Building on Easter weekend.
A total of four COVID-19 deaths have been reported thus far in Chaffee County, and there were 41 confirmed cases as of Monday, April 13 according to the latest report from Public Health Director Andrea Carlstrom.
While testing data and case data can often be different (due to where the labs are located and how quickly results are reported), Carlstrom said there were 279 people tested in the county as of Friday, April 10; 215 of which were negative, and 28 test reports were still pending.
Of the 41 cases locally, 26 involved staff and patients at Columbine Manor, where an outbreak has resulted in three of the four county deaths from the disease.
The self-reporting tool utilized by the county continues to draw responses from residents, Carlstrom reported. A total of 71 people have used the online report system. Of the respondents, 78.6 percent reported having a cough; 62.9 percent a headache; 61.4 percent had a sore throat and 48.6 percent reported a fever.
A majority did not report other underlying medical conditions, Carlstrom said, but many people said they had traveled recently, both within and outside the country. A total of 19 respondents reported their symptoms were resolved now, with a majority of those characterizing their symptoms as significant.
Carlstrom also said she believed people adhering to the statewide stay-at-home order and wearing masks when venturing out may be helping to ‘flatten the curve’ of infections locally.
Residents desiring masks were encouraged to contact Public Health for assistance. Many community organizations and individuals are making fabric masks for residents and healthcare workers.
Carlstrom also announced a community mask giveaway scheduled Wednesday, April 15 starting at 3 p.m. at the Touber Building. Residents are asked to walk or drive through from the C street west side entrance. There will be a limit of three masks per car or household, she said.
She also discouraged disparaging or toxic remarks on the county’s COVID-19 Facebook page, which is designed to answer questions and provide information, not as a space for rants.
Carlstrom closed the briefing with upbeat news on the community support for the effort to fight COVID-19; the Chaffee County Community Foundation has raised more than $282,000 for an emergency fund to help local families and nonprofits adversely affected by the virus. At least 65 applications have been received.
“It’s just incredible the amount of generosity time and time again, Chaffee County extends to each other, to our friends, to our families, to our neighbors – it’s so heartwarming, and I can’t thank you enough,” added Carlstrom.
Residents have embraced a neighborhood ‘howl’ at 8 p.m. each night as a vocal appreciation of healthcare workers and first responders during the pandemic crisis. A large heart, with the words, “Thanks for ALL you do!!” was left for Police Officers and staff; the Public Health Department and Salida City Government at the Touber Building on Easter weekend. Other signs of appreciation are also starting to appear around the downtown Salida area.
I tend to agree with you, Sheila. I think it’s important to protect our grocery workers as well as critical healthcare workers – not to mention our fellow citizens shopping alongside us. I was at a hardware store last week and saw a group of five or six people, all without masks, standing close together, talking and laughing….. gave them a wide berth.
Dan Smith
Last Thursday I shopped at Safeway in Salida. While I was in the store, my husband sat in our vehicle and observed 28 men with no masks and three women with no masks. I confronted one young man and asked him if he read the rules at the front door, about 8 feet limit and following the arrows. He curtly said he didn’t care. I think all the stores should have the rule, no mask, you cannot enter. At least the employees and customers might feel a little bit more protected