COVID-19 HHRC Update: Weekly Update
February 26, 2021
Information shared from Grand Country Public Health https://www.co.grand.co.us/COVID19
New Demographic Data
In an effort to provide more demographic data on COVID Positive cases from Grand County residents, Grand County Public Health (GCPH) has added a new page to its COVID Dashboard. The “COVID Positives by Classification” page can be accessed by clicking the “View Additional Statistics” link under the pie chart in the lower-left corner of the COVID Dashboard. The data includes all Grand County resident COVID positives since March 2020 summarized by Age, City of Residence, Gender, Ethnicity, Race, and Type of COVID test performed (PCR, antigen, etc…) and will be updated once a week on Saturdays.
County & State Vaccine Dashboards
At the beginning of February, Grand County updated its COVID Dashboard to include vaccine data. The current data includes vaccine doses administered by all local providers, including Safeway in Fraser and City Market in Granby. Reports are updated each Tuesday and include both 1st and 2nd doses.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) has also created a vaccine data dashboard that includes county-level vaccine administration data in beta. The goal of the expanded data dashboard is part of the state’s commitment to prioritize data transparency throughout the COVID-19 response, to inform an equitable vaccine distribution process, and ensure accountability. The State’s new beta version of the county-level vaccine administration includes: Number of doses administered, Number of doses administered per 100,000 population, Doses distributed (sent to providers in the county), Doses distributed per 100,000 people, and the Difference between percent of doses distributed and percent of the state population.
Please note that the CDPHE Vaccine Dashboard reports data by an individual’s primary county of residence regardless of where their shot was given. Conversely, Grand County’s data is reported as the number of doses given in this county regardless of the patient’s home address. Thus, if trying to compare the dashboards, please take these differences into account.
Lastly, until the COVID vaccine is widely available and a level of community immunity is achieved, it is imperative that everyone keeps following public health protocols and protective measures to mitigate this virus–wear a mask, physically distance, avoid gatherings, stay home when you’re sick, and wash your hands.
County Dial Status
While we have improved on our dial status, we are not out of the woods yet. We are approaching the Spring Break season and foresee that larger numbers of tourists will be coming into the county. Therefore, we need to stay vigilant in our efforts to curb the spread.
The great work by the community to help stop the spread has allowed us to lift the red dial level restrictions. GCPH will continue to monitor our case rates and positivity. We will also continue to assess our ability to lessen restrictions. We need to have at least a 7 day trend in either direction prior to adjusting our capacities. We will take into account disease activity throughout the county, numbers of individuals on quarantine, anticipated dIsease events, and the potential strain bouncing back and forth between levels can put on businesses and event planning.
PHO Extension
On Thursday, February 25, Grand County Public Health signed an Extension Order of the June 26, 2020, Standing Public Health Order. The extension expands the Standing PHO’s authority through April 30, 2021. The June 26th Standing Public Health Order authorizes Best Overarching and Activity-Specific Protective Measures detailed in the Grand County COVID Suppression Plan and Playbooks. The Order also continues the requirement that all businesses, events, and activities in Grand County complete the Compliance Verification Form.
Colorado Exposure Notifications
For a while now, Colorado has been promoting its Colorado Exposures Notification App for iPhone and Android users. The app allows users to be notified when another user they have been near within the past 14-days tests positive for COVID-19. The Exposure Notifications only work if both people have the app installed and Bluetooth is turned on, and the individual who tested positive chooses to initiate the push notification service to potentially exposed users.
Because the push notification will not identify who, when, or where you were potentially exposed, GCPH advises that if you have been diligent about COVID protective measures and you get a notification about potential exposure, that you should monitor for symptoms, continue all best protective measures, and get tested at one of our free antigen testing sites. If you have not been diligent about masking, washing hands, distancing, limiting gatherings, and staying home when sick, you should follow standard quarantine protocols in addition to getting tested.
