COVID-19 HHRC Update: Schools & Mask Wearing
August 21, 2020 8:00 pm
Information shared from Grand Country Public Health https://www.co.grand.co.us/COVID19
Schools
On August 20, 2020, Grand County Public Health (GCPH) issued a Public Health Order (PHO) related to COVID-19 Protective Measures in Public and Private Schools in Grand County. The Order has four primary directives:
- Face masks or coverings that cover both the nose and mouth and that occlude air flow are required to be worn by all children in grades pre-K through 12 and anyone else over the age of 2 who is in the confines of a Grand County pre-K-12 school setting, with some exceptions. Individuals on school buses to and from school functions must also wear face coverings.
- Suspected positive cases and outbreaks will be mitigated using Grand County Public Health’s COVID-19 School Flowcharts and Protocols based on CDPHE’s case and outbreak guidance.
- Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s (CDPHE) and Colorado Department of Education (CDE) August 2020 guidance for in-person learning at pre-K-12 schools should be followed.
- Generally applicable Best Practice Protective Measures are to be followed by all citizens, businesses, and visitors while in Grand County.
In creating this guidance, Grand County Public Health had to compromise on certain “Generally-applicable Best Protective Measures” to make the most out of a very difficult situation. GCPH stresses that social distancing of at least 6-feet between non-household members is the best scientific practice. Due to the difficulty of achieving such distance in school classrooms and settings, GCPH reinforces that students should maintain as much physical distance as possible between one another and compensate for the lack of proper social distancing by mandating use of face coverings in school settings (with some exceptions). This extenuating compromise by GCPH is not recommended for other businesses or sectors and should not become the norm in the county.
In-person learning will naturally decrease the social distancing rating of our community as a whole. Outbreaks in our community and schools could lead to interruptions in our workforce and have economic consequences to our community as a whole. For that reason, the community as a whole needs to compensate with extra precautions to keep COVID-19 disease in our community controlled. Examples of compensation and extra precaution would include, but are not limited to actions like avoiding social gatherings, keeping event attendee numbers low, and strict mask wearing.
Mask Wearing
Just a reminder that per Governor Polis’ Executive Order D 2020 164, all individuals above the age of 10-years old* must wear a face covering over their nose and mouth when entering or moving within any Public Indoor Space, or while using or waiting to use the services of any taxi, bus, light rail, train, car service, ride-sharing or similar service, or Mass Transportation Operations.
Public Indoor Space, as defined in the executive order, means any enclosed indoor area that is publicly or privately owned, managed, or operated to which individuals have access by right or by invitation, expressed or implied, and that is accessible to the public, serves as a place of employment, or is an entity providing services. Public Indoor Space does not mean a person’s residence, including a room in a motel or hotel or a residential room for students at an educational facility. This includes work spaces shared by people from more than one household.
Under Executive Order D 2020 110, mask wearing is mandatory for employees, contractors, and others providing services for Mass Transportation Operations and Critical Businesses as well as for State and county employees and the individuals they serve at Government Offices and Facilities.
We have learned that widespread mask use is a low cost and highly effective way to reduce the spread of COVID-19 infections by as much as 65%. Broad adoption of mask wearing in Colorado may have significant economic benefits by allowing the State to prevent re-closures of businesses and schools and, ultimately, return to our normal lives more quickly.
*On August 20, 2020, Grand County Public Health (GCPH) issued a Public Health Order (PHO) related to COVID-19 Protective Measures in Public and Private Schools in Grand County. The PHO directed that face masks or coverings that cover both the nose and mouth and that occlude air flow are required to be worn by all children in grades pre-K through 12 and anyone else over the age of 2 who is in the confines of a Grand County pre-K-12 school setting, with some exceptions. Individuals on school buses to and from school functions must also wear face coverings. GCPH is more strict regarding school children to compensate for the lack of social distancing.
August 14, 2020 5:00 pm
Information shared from Grand Country Public Health https://www.co.grand.co.us/COVID19
All data can now be found online using our public dashboard. You can find a link to the dashboard pinned to the top of GCPH’s facebook page or on the website at www.co.grand.co.us/covid19. Once you’re on the website, click on the pie chart icon that says “COVID-19 Data”.
Information for Employers/Employees
It has been found that people who have been infected with COVID-19 can test positive for a prolonged period of time post-infection. This has led to changes in guidance for being released from isolation from a test-based strategy to a symptom-based strategy. Accordingly, a negative test would no longer be required prior to returning to work. Please refer to the information provided below for more details.
If An Employee Becomes COVID-19 Positive
Accumulating evidence supports ending isolation and precautions for persons with COVID-19 using a symptom-based strategy. Specifically, researchers have reported that people with mild to moderate COVID-19 remain infectious no longer than 10-days after their symptoms began, and those with more severe illness or those who are severely immunocompromised remain infectious no longer than 20-days after their symptoms began. Therefore, CDC has updated the recommendations for discontinuing home isolation as follows:
What are an employee’s responsibilities if their COVID-19 test is positive or they have a close COVID contact?
- Employees who have tested positive for COVID-19 and have symptoms must remain out of work for at least 10-days* from when their symptoms began and until they have no fever for 24-hours without the use of fever-reducing medicine (antipyretics), and their respiratory symptoms are improving.
- Employees who have tested positive for COVID-19 and do not have symptoms must remain out of work for at least 10-days from the date of their positive test.
- Employees who have tested positive for COVID-19 need to work with public health to contact trace your social, household and work exposures. Public health will provide letters of isolation for you to use to show you need to stay at home.
- If you have a close contact with a COVID-19 person you may be directed by Public Health to stay at home for 14-days of quarantine. A letter explaining this will be provided by public health and available to present to employers.
- A negative test is not required to return to work.
*A limited number of persons with severe illness may produce replication-competent virus beyond 10-days, that may warrant extending the duration of isolation for up to 20-days after symptom onset. Consider consultation with infection control experts. See Discontinuation of Transmission-Based Precautions and Disposition of Patients with COVID-19 in Non-Healthcare Settings.
What are a business owners’ /managers’ responsibilities?
- Employees who have had an exposure or positive COVID-19 test may be directed by public health to stay at home. Public Health will provide letters to employee detailing the isolation or quarantine order.
- If notified of an employee’s positive test, managers may tell staff that they might have been exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 but should not share names.
- Owners/managers should have plans in place to accommodate shifts in staffing that may occur due to isolation and quarantine of workers and their dependents.
- Make sure all employees are informed of policies. Remind all staff that they should be wearing masks, practicing physical distancing, performing excellent hand hygiene, and continuing daily monitoring for symptoms of COVID-19.
- Employees do not need a negative test in order to return to work.
If I go on vacation or have been away from my job, will I need to be tested to return to work?
No, employers should not request testing for you to go back to work. If you feel like you had a significant exposure while you were off work, then contact your primary care physician or local public health to determine if a test is needed. There is no guidance or evidence that supports testing employees to clear them to return to work.
July 29, 2020 9:00 pm
Information shared from Grand Country Public Health https://www.co.grand.co.us/COVID19
Public Dashboard
All data can now be found online using our public dashboard. You can find a link to the dashboard pinned to the top of GCPH’s facebook page or on the website at www.co.grand.co.us/covid19. Once you’re on the website, click on the pie chart icon that says “COVID-19 Data”.
Best Practice Protective Measures
As many of you know, rules, restrictions, and capacity limits for different activities have changed several times since the pandemic began, and they are bound to change again in the future. We would like to remind everyone of the simple and easy ways to access the Grand County Suppression Plan and Playbooks created by Grand County Public Health. These “live” documents contain county-specific protective measures for all activities and are updated as conditions change or developments occur. The goal of these documents is to keep our community and visitors as safe as possible while allowing our economy to recover and grow. Please feel free to contact us with any questions.
Grand County Suppression Plan and Playbooks: Your one-stop shop for all Grand County guidance and information.
Grand County Quick Reference Chart: This live spreadsheet provides the most up-to-date changes and capacity limitations for all activities and sectors in Grand County. It is your go-to-guide for quick information.
Grand County’s Updated COVID-19 Website: Revamped for easier accessibility and function. Be sure to check out the “COVID-19” data icon for Public Health’s new public dashboard.
Get COVID-19 Updates: Go here to sign up for alerts from Grand County when the county’s COVID-19 page is updated.
Compliance Verification Form
As a friendly reminder, Grand County Public Health still has a public health order in effect that requires all businesses, employers, sole proprietors, and organizers of events and activities to submit a Compliance Verification Form prior to accepting customers or hosting the event.
Statewide Update
On July 16, 2020, for 30 days, Governor Polis enacted a statewide mandate for face coverings. The order states,“Except as permitted by Paragraphs L, M, and N, below, all individuals over ten (10) years old must wear a face covering over their nose and mouth when entering or moving within any Public Indoor Space.” On July 23, 2020, for 30 days, the State suspended all alcohol sales after 10:00 p.m. each day. This order applies to all entities that are licensed to sell liquor.
Additional Clarification from the State regarding mask use in Gyms: Mask-wearing requirements apply to everyone indoors, including people exercising. If you are in an indoor room with other patrons who are not a part of your household, then you need to wear a mask. You may remove it temporarily if you need to catch your breath or safely perform an activity but should wear a mask as much as feasible.
The University of Colorado’s predictive model shows that social distancing is needed at a level of at least 55%, preferably 65%, to avoid overwhelming our hospital system. Colorado is seeing hospitalizations tick back up, and as of July 16, 2020, the state’s ICU bed capacity is stabilizing at 22-30%. Currently, Colorado’s new case average has exceeded 500 each day. Several days last week showed new case counts of more than 600, close to what the state saw in April. Governor Polis urged municipalities and local public health agencies to take swift, targeted action to address rising case numbers and avoid drastic action at the statewide level.
July 27, 2020 6:43 pm
Information shared from Grand Country Public Health https://www.co.grand.co.us/COVID19
Grand County Public Health’s Public Dashboard is LIVE. Updates on this dashboard will occur daily for some categories and weekly for others.
Here is the link for future use: https://datastudio.google.com/u/0/reporting/03a44c16-e3d6-48aa-9271-875859024d26/page/batYB
July 22, 2020 7:00 pm
Information shared from Grand Country Public Health https://www.co.grand.co.us/COVID19
COVID-19 Update
Grand County Public Health Amends Public Health Order
On July 22, 2020, Grand County Public Health (GCPH) is issuing an Amendment to the June 26, 2020 Standing Public Health Order Related to COVID-19 Pandemic Best Practice and Activity Specific Protective Measures.
In this amendment, the following are addressed:
- Event sizes shall be decreased to the lower of 50% capacity or a maximum of 50 persons at Indoor Events and 125 persons at Outdoor Events with rigorous prevention measures in place. These maximum numbers represent the maximum allowable per venue unless Grand County Public Health approves a plan for multiple control areas within a venue. Grand County Recreation Playbook
- Following Colorado Executive order D 2020 138 (as amended July 16th), several references to mask and cloth face coverings have been amended in Grand County PH Playbooks to update mask usage to match the state requirements. Grand County Suppression Plan and Playbooks
These amendments are being made in light of the “High Disease Activity” in Grand County. Grand County Commissioners and the Grand County Public Health Director received a letter from the State requesting a mitigation plan with the intent of reducing the transmission of COVID-19. The measures outlined above are being instituted as part of that plan. This Amendment Authorization Order will become effective immediately and will remain in effect until the expiration of the June 26, 2020 Standing Public Health Order.
To report violations of this Order or others, please visit co.grand.co.us/violation or call 970-364-3811.
What Can You Do To Help?
We all have a role to play in limiting the spread of this virus. Containing the spread of COVID-19 will require committed action from the entire community. Follow the five commitments below, and together we will #StayHealthy and #StayOpen:
- I will maintain 6 feet of distance from anyone not in my household.
- I will wash my hands often.
- I will cover my face in public.
- I will stay home when I am sick.
- I will seek testing immediately and self-report if I experience symptoms.
Thank others (including strangers) you see in public who are wearing face coverings. Shop at and promote local businesses that are taking COVID-19 precautions seriously. In addition, please avoid the 3 C’s: closed spaces, with poor ventilation; crowded places, with many people nearby; and close-contact settings, such as close range-conversations.
July 20, 2020 7:00 am
Information shared from Grand Country Public Health https://www.co.grand.co.us/COVID19
COVID-19 Update
Situational Update
Cases of COVID-19 in Grand County continue to trend upward. As of today, we have a total of 35 positive cases among Grand County residents, 13 of which tested positive within the last two weeks, keeping Grand County in “High Disease Activity”. In the past week, Grand County Public Health was notified of 7 positive test results and another associated case. Grand County also has two confirmed positives that have been hospitalized. One has been released and is recovering at home, one is currently hospitalized and in stable condition.
Community members must be vigilant in following the protective measures in place and follow the new Statewide Mask Order the Governor announced yesterday. The fight against COVID-19 is much more than case numbers; other metrics such as sufficient hospital bed capacity, sufficient PPE supply, sufficient testing capacity, the ability to implement case investigation and contact tracing protocol are also impacted when we see upward trends.
Case Count and Other Data
The case count provided is the total number of confirmed positive COVID-19 test results since the first confirmed positive test result on March 17th. GCPH does not report recovered cases because there is not a good working definition of “recovered” cases. With COVID-19, some people can feel better, then worse, or have long term health effects after their infection.
GCPH cannot provide town/locations of current positive cases to ensure their privacy. GCPH follows HIPAA policies and has the option to be stricter than federal HIPAA policies. We choose to have policies that are stricter due to our very rural environment and small numbers of cases. We chose to identify the towns in a recent post because our numbers have increased and there is less potential to identify cases. If a case chooses to tell people they are positive that is their choice, but we will never identify a case name, not even when we are contact tracing, to anyone. From lessons learned throughout the years, broadcasting where a case is from in the county can identify and make that person a target.
With all this being said, we do understand the importance of providing more data to the public. GCPH is currently in the process of creating a public dashboard that will provide a visual aid to assist with tracking the metrics for COVID-19 in Grand County. The data that will be included in this dashboard is the same data that will qualify Grand County for “Protect Your Neighbors”.
What Can You Do To Help?
We all have a role to play in limiting the spread of this virus. Containing the spread of COVID-19 will require committed action from the entire community. Follow the five commitments below, and together we will #StayHealthy and #StayOpen:
- I will maintain 6 feet of distance from anyone not in my household.
- I will wash my hands often.
- I will cover my face in public.
- I will stay home when I am sick.
- I will seek testing immediately and self-report if I experience symptoms.
Thank others (including strangers) you see in public who are wearing face coverings. Shop at and promote local businesses that are taking COVID-19 precautions seriously. In addition, please avoid the 3 C’s: closed spaces, with poor ventilation; crowded places, with many people nearby; and close-contact settings, such as close range-conversations.
July 17, 2020 7:00 pm
Information shared from Grand Country Public Health https://www.co.grand.co.us/COVID19
COVID-19 Update
Situational Update
Cases of COVID-19 in Grand County continue to trend upward. As of today, we have a total of 35 positive cases among Grand County residents, 13 of which tested positive within the last two weeks, keeping Grand County in “High Disease Activity”. In the past week, Grand County Public Health was notified of 7 positive test results and another associated case. Grand County also has two confirmed positives that have been hospitalized. One has been released and is recovering at home, one is currently hospitalized and in stable condition.
Community members must be vigilant in following the protective measures in place and follow the new Statewide Mask Order the Governor announced yesterday. The fight against COVID-19 is much more than case numbers; other metrics such as sufficient hospital bed capacity, sufficient PPE supply, sufficient testing capacity, the ability to implement case investigation and contact tracing protocol are also impacted when we see upward trends.
Case Count and Other Data
The case count provided is the total number of confirmed positive COVID-19 test results since the first confirmed positive test result on March 17th. GCPH does not report recovered cases because there is not a good working definition of “recovered” cases. With COVID-19, some people can feel better, then worse, or have long term health effects after their infection.
GCPH cannot provide town/locations of current positive cases to ensure their privacy. GCPH follows HIPAA policies and has the option to be stricter than federal HIPAA policies. We choose to have policies that are stricter due to our very rural environment and small numbers of cases. We chose to identify the towns in a recent post because our numbers have increased and there is less potential to identify cases. If a case chooses to tell people they are positive that is their choice, but we will never identify a case name, not even when we are contact tracing, to anyone. From lessons learned throughout the years, broadcasting where a case is from in the county can identify and make that person a target.
With all this being said, we do understand the importance of providing more data to the public. GCPH is currently in the process of creating a public dashboard that will provide a visual aid to assist with tracking the metrics for COVID-19 in Grand County. The data that will be included in this dashboard is the same data that will qualify Grand County for “Protect Your Neighbors”.
What Can You Do To Help?
We all have a role to play in limiting the spread of this virus. Containing the spread of COVID-19 will require committed action from the entire community. Follow the five commitments below, and together we will #StayHealthy and #StayOpen:
- I will maintain 6 feet of distance from anyone not in my household.
- I will wash my hands often.
- I will cover my face in public.
- I will stay home when I am sick.
- I will seek testing immediately and self-report if I experience symptoms.
Thank others (including strangers) you see in public who are wearing face coverings. Shop at and promote local businesses that are taking COVID-19 precautions seriously. In addition, please avoid the 3 C’s: closed spaces, with poor ventilation; crowded places, with many people nearby; and close-contact settings, such as close range-conversations.
Situational Update
Cases of COVID-19 in Grand County are on the rise. As of today, we have a total of 29 positive cases among Grand County residents, 10 of which tested positive within the last two weeks. Per the state’s latest metrics for evaluating risk (7 or more cases for a county/jurisdiction with a population of less than 30,000), our current two-week count of 10 new cases puts Grand County in the “High Disease Transmission Rate” category. Being in the “High Transmission” category means:
- Grand County does not meet the criteria to qualify for the Protect Our Neighbors phase
- Grand County’s economic recovery could be in jeopardy
- Community members and visitors must be vigilant in following the protective measures in place
If our cases continue to rise, other qualifying metrics such as sufficient hospital bed capacity, sufficient PPE supply, sufficient testing capacity, the ability to implement case investigation and contact tracing protocol could also be in jeopardy.
Grand County Public Health was also notified of an additional confirmed positive test result for an individual who was visiting Grand County and recreating. This individual is not included in our case count because their permanent residence is not in Grand County. Although the individual is not a resident, a case investigation has been launched, further impacting the local public health capacity.
What Can You Do To Help?
We all have a role to play in limiting the spread of this virus. Containing the outbreak will require committed action from the entire community. Follow the five commitments below, and together we will #StayHealthy and #StayOpen:
- I will maintain 6 feet of distance from anyone not in my household.
- I will wash my hands often.
- I will cover my face in public.
- I will stay home when I am sick.
- I will seek testing immediately and self-report if I experience symptoms.
Thank others (including strangers) you see in public who are wearing face coverings. Shop at and promote local businesses that are taking COVID-19 precautions seriously. In addition, please avoid the 3 C’s: closed spaces, with poor ventilation; crowded places, with many people nearby; and close-contact settings, such as close range-conversations.
Mask Mandate
As of July 7, 2020, both Winter Park and Fraser have signed emergency ordinances mandating masking wearing in public areas. Those who refuse to wear a mask can be fined $50 on the first offense, $250 on the second and $500 on the third or consecutive offenses.
Fraser’s Ordinance requires people to wear a mask when entering and inside local businesses, as well as outside when a six-foot distance can’t be maintained.
Winter Park’s Ordinance mandates people wear masks when entering and while inside businesses, as well as when six-feet of distance can’t be maintained in public places.
Testing in Grand County
Middle Park Health and Denver Health both do testing of symptomatic patients. Middle Park Health is also offering antibody testing and testing for non-symptomatic individuals. Prices for walk-in cash pay patients (no order required) are $50 for antibody test and $100 for the nasal swab.
Please understand that some antibody tests are resulting in what are known as “false positives.” Furthermore, negative results do not rule out the potential for infection and may offer a false sense of security. Thus, we encourage everyone to be very cautious about results from an antibody test and understand that the test does not guarantee immunity. You should continue to follow all recommended precautions to avoid catching or spreading COVID-19, even if you think you have had COVID-19 in the past or if you’ve gotten a positive result from an antibody test.
COVID-19 Update
July 10, 2020 8:00 pm
Information shared from Grand Country Public Health https://www.co.grand.co.us/COVID19
COVID-19 Update
Situational Update
Cases of COVID-19 in Grand County are on the rise. As of today, we have a total of 27 positive cases among Grand County residents, 9 of which tested positive within the last two weeks. Per the state’s latest metrics for evaluating risk (7 or more cases for a county/jurisdiction with a population of less than 30,000), our current two-week count of 9 new cases puts Grand County in the “High Disease Transmission Rate” category. Being in the “High Transmission” category means:
- Grand County does not meet the criteria to qualify for the Protect Our Neighbors phase
- Grand County’s economic recovery could be in jeopardy
- Community members and visitors must be vigilant in following the protective measures in place
If our cases continue to rise, other qualifying metrics such as sufficient hospital bed capacity, sufficient PPE supply, sufficient testing capacity, the ability to implement case investigation and contact tracing protocol could also be in jeopardy.
Grand County Public Health was also notified of an additional confirmed positive test result for an individual who was visiting Grand County and recreating. This individual is not included in our case count because their permanent residence is not in Grand County. Although the individual is not a resident, a case investigation has been launched, further impacting the local public health capacity.
What Can You Do To Help?
We all have a role to play in limiting the spread of this virus. Containing the outbreak will require committed action from the entire community. Follow the five commitments below, and together we will #StayHealthy and #StayOpen:
- I will maintain 6 feet of distance from anyone not in my household.
- I will wash my hands often.
- I will cover my face in public.
- I will stay home when I am sick.
- I will seek testing immediately and self-report if I experience symptoms.
Thank others (including strangers) you see in public who are wearing face coverings. Shop at and promote local businesses that are taking COVID-19 precautions seriously. In addition, please avoid the 3 C’s: closed spaces, with poor ventilation; crowded places, with many people nearby; and close-contact settings, such as close range-conversations.
Testing in Grand County
Middle Park Health and Denver Health both do testing of symptomatic patients. Middle Park Health is also offering antibody testing and testing for non-symptomatic individuals. Prices for walk-in cash pay patients (no order required) are $50 for antibody test and $100 for the nasal swab.
Please understand that some antibody tests are resulting in what are known as “false positives.” Furthermore, negative results do not rule out the potential for infection and may offer a false sense of security. Thus, we encourage everyone to be very cautious about results from an antibody test and understand that the test does not guarantee immunity. You should continue to follow all recommended precautions to avoid catching or spreading COVID-19, even if you think you have had COVID-19 in the past or if you’ve gotten a positive result from an antibody test.
July 8, 2020 12:00 pm
Information shared from Grand Country Public Health https://www.co.grand.co.us/COVID19
COVID-19 Update
Summer Time Activities
As we enter the summer season, we find ourselves asking, “what do we need to know about COVID-19 as we embark on summer activities?” Of course, we can’t be outside all the time. When escaping the summer heat and mugginess indoors, try for as much ventilation as possible, and continue to observe safe behaviors. Coming into close contact with infected people who have coughed, sneezed or breathed heavily or talked near you poses the greatest risk, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The risk of catching the virus from close contact is much higher than from touching shared surfaces. With this in mind, we have put together some Guidance For Common Summer Situations And Activities.
GCPH also wants to remind all residents, businesses, and guests of the Best Practice Protective Measures that are proven deterrents to spreading the disease. We all have a role to play in limiting the spread of this virus and we cannot stress enough the importance of having the entire Grand County community support these important safety efforts. With the rising COVID-19 rates here and across the country, we are seeing the unfortunate effects of what happens when communities disregard these protective measures. We must all continue to keep flattening the curve and not allow ourselves to become lax. Please stay safe over the holiday weekend and throughout the summer.
- Limit gatherings to small groups, do not congregate
- Anyone showing signs or symptoms of being sick must stay home
- Employers conduct symptom screenings of all employees daily
- Limit, where possible, all high and medium risk interactions
- Practice good personal hygiene (wash hands frequently, cover coughs, do not touch your face)
- Wear face coverings in public areas
- Protect our vulnerable populations like the elderly and people with pre-existing conditions
- Maintain 6-foot distancing from others
- Increase ventilation as much as possible in all facilities
- Frequent sanitation of high touch surfaces
- Use cleaning and sanitizing products that meet EPA standards and CDC requirements
