COVID-19 HHRC Update: Update and Outlook for the Week
April 12, 2020 7:00 pm
COVID-19 Information shared from Grand Country Public Health https://www.co.grand.co.us/COVID19
We hope everyone had a great Easter weekend with their family! We’ve heard of families “gathering” for visits by video conferencing, people attending church online, parents sending videos to grandparents of their grandkids hunting for eggs, couples getting some yard prep in before the snow arrives again, and grown adult children projects including water coloring bunnies. This Coronavirus situation is hard, but hopefully we are all discovering ways to have more quality family time. There’s always something good with every bad.
COVID-19 Update
The numbers do not add up because two of the positives are considered “probable” positives meaning they are not included in the number of tests performed.
Outlook for the Week
The Grand County community has done an admirable job isolating and social distancing compared to some areas on the Front Range. We only have two confirmed positive COVID-19 patients. While there may be many undocumented COVID-19 cases in Grand County, even cases of flu and the common cold are well below seasonal averages. It appears that local community health organizations should be able to handle any hospitalizations we could see under the current projections. The next two weeks of isolation under Governor Polis’ Stay-at-Home Order will be challenging for our community, but it is important that we all continue following the law and staying at home except when necessary activities force us to visit public places.
In the last few weeks, the Grand County COVID-19 Response Team and our partners have secured an Isolation Care Facility that is ready for use in situations when patients testing positive for COVID-19 cannot, or should not, return home due to “at-risk” family members. The Team has also made preparations for contingency and alternate plans, should there be a surge at regional and local hospitals. We are working with the state to launch an online self-reporting dashboard to help track the number of people with symptoms who may be isolating at home but not tested.
The Incident Management Team (IMT), working with the Grand County Public Health Director, has also vetted and discussed several other Public Health Orders at the request of members of the Board of Health, Town Managers, as well as the general public. The IMT is prepared to extend or add further restrictions if needed. There have also been discussions regarding continuity of operations as our community prepares to return to our new normal. Grand County Public Health will continue to focus on surveillance and monitoring to ensure our community’s safety as we reassess Public Health Orders. Disease monitoring, contact tracing, isolation, and quarantine will continue throughout the deceleration phase of this pandemic. If an increase in disease is detected before a vaccine is available, social distancing may need to ramp up again.
In the coming weeks, we will continue to look at guidance from FEMA, CDC, Colorado Department of Health and Environment, Colorado Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, and others in an effort to minimize the financial and human services impacts to our community. This includes preparing ourselves for a tiered approach out of restrictions. We anticipate that some restrictions may be lifted, but, as a community, we will likely need to practice social distancing measures for months to come.
Please continue taking the appropriate precautions to help us mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Stay at home unless it is critical to conduct a necessary activity. If you must leave your home, wear a face covering and maintain a minimum of six feet between you and others. Wash hands frequently and thoroughly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing. If you are willing and able to make and donate cloth face masks for Grand County community members in need, please drop them off at any of the following locations: Safeway in Fraser, City Market in Granby, Mountain Food Market in Grand Lake, Sheriff’s Office Foyer in Hot Sulphur Springs, and Kremmling Mercantile.
Stay healthy Grand County!
