Chaffee County Director of Public Health Andrea Carlstrom Tuesday has announced a seventh death from the coronavirus known as COVID-19.
Coroner Jeff Graf said an 84-year-old woman, a resident of Columbine Manor Care Center in Salida, has died from the virus. The outbreak at Columbine Manor has produced 41 of the 57 known cases of infection in the county among residents and staff, and six deaths. Previously, 42 cases were listed at Columbine, but Carlstrom said one case was counted twice, hence the correction to 41.
Long-term care facilities have been compared to infection Petri dishes. Image courtesy of Wikipedia
As of April 21, there have been virus outbreaks at 119 non-hospital long-term care facilities as of Tuesday afternoon. An outbreak is defined as two or more confirmed cases of COVID-19 infection during a 14-day period at a given facility.
To date, Carlstrom said there have been more than 10,000 cases in Colorado, resulting in 1,880 people hospitalized and nearly 450 deaths. Some 47,400 Colorado residents have been tested as of Tuesday. According to Carlstrom, there have been 369 tests done in Chaffee County, with 299 coming back negative and 18 that were still pending. Testing is the key, according to health experts, for determining the true spread of the virus, and as across the country, no expansive plan for testing is possible yet in Chaffee County.
With the change in the state pandemic status to level two, the less stringent ‘Safer at Home’ model is designed to allow gradual loosening of some restrictions on some businesses. Carlstrom said the change is being done cautiously, and that seniors and other vulnerable populations must “maintain even higher levels of social distancing.”
She said that each disease intervention practice if taken alone — containment, testing, wearing masks, social distancing and extra precautions for seniors — will not keep Colordan’s from seeing a hospital capacity surge.
The governor’s ‘Safer at Home’ order still requires staying at home as much as possible, wearing a face mask in public, no gatherings of more than 10 people; people who are sick should continue to stay home from work, and unnecessary travel should be avoided.
Carlstrom added that residents need to take distancing policies seriously, be accountable and responsible. “We need ongoing monitoring, evaluation, and surveillance – and we’re just not there yet.”
Carlstrom also said that due to the large number of outbreaks at long-term care facilities, Colorado has mandated new rules specifically for those facilities.
The Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) published a modification of the public health order regarding long-term care facilities with the aim of preventing and controlling the outbreaks of COVID-19. Such modification of Public Health Order 20-20 requires long-term care facilities, including residential, nursing, and assisted living facilities, to present a prevention and response plan to COVID-19 before May 1 in order to contain the spread of an outbreak of any disease that may occur within the facility.
Notable elements of the public health order for long-term care facilities include:
- A strict limitation of visitors to long-term facilities.
- A symptom detection protocol at the front door of all employees, providers, and visitors before allowing them to enter the center.
- A prevention and response plan to COVID-19, presented by the centers to CDPHE before May 1, 2020.
- A plan to isolate people with symptoms or who test positive for COVID-19.
- Institutions must ensure that all residents have access to necessary medical care.
- All residents and employees must wear a mask or other facemask in public. Employees must wear a suitable mask at all times on the premises.
Long-term care facilities should use the template available on the CDPHE website ( covid19.colorado.gov/ltcf ) to write their plan. Facilities must submit such a plan to CDPHE by May 1, 2020, which details how they will identify and isolate residents who test positive for COVID-19 or who have symptoms, in addition to developing a plan to monitor symptoms as well as describe staff training.
Details on outbreaks in care facilities throughout Colorado can be found at: covid19.colorado.gov/outbreak-data and general ilnformtion is available at covid19.colorado.gov .
Carlstrom concluded by saying that Chaffee County Public Health only has a limited number of free cloth masks available, and is hoping to get more in the near future. To purchase a mask, the following resources have been working on a local supply:
Salida
Oveja Negra, Drift and Amble, Salida Pharmacy and Fountain, Bee Keepers Honey Boutique and Opal Boutique
Buena Vista
Rock Paper Scissors, and Buena Vista Drug
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