Otero/Crowley County Health Department Covid Update November 6th

Description: Otero/Crowley County Health Department Covid Update November 6th.


Published: 11/06/2020
Byline: Hart

 

THIS IS A RAPIDLY EVOLVING AND FLUID SITUATION.  INFORMATION AND ACTION ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT ANY TIME.  BE PREPARED TO BE FLEXIBLE AND PATIENT.

The situations, numbers, website links, data, and etc. described below were current as of Friday 11/6/2020 at 10:35 am

PLEASE DISTRIBUTE THIS WIDELY

11/6/2020 Crowley/Otero COVID-19 Update #1:  Weekly Update

Please take the time to read and understand this entire message.

Internet links:  Before I send out each update, I check the links to make sure they are active.  However, links do change from time to time, so the links I sent out today may not be the same tomorrow.  You may have to search around a bit.

Hello to all, below are some COVID-19 updates for you:

  1. Crowley County COVID-19 Prison Cases:  Currently both the Arkansas Valley Correctional Facility and the Crowley County Correctional Facility in Crowley County are experiencing COVID-19 outbreaks.  If you have been following the COVID-19 Crowley County data, specifically the recent case numbers and the two week cumulative incidence rate per 100,000 population, you would have noticed a very recent, severe spike in those numbers.  That recent, severe spike is predominantly due to the outbreaks at the prisons.  In order to have meaningful data regarding the spread of COVID-19 in our Crowley County communities, we need to have case rates that exclude the positive prisoners as they are incarcerated and obviously not moving freely through the communities where they would pose a direct, increased risk of COVID-19 transmission.  Yesterday my staff and I worked with CDPHE on this issue.  The most current numbers we have as of the time of this writing are found below in the Summaries section.  Once the picture becomes clearer (by getting a bit more data and doing some math, math is FUN, seriously), I will share data with you that reflects prisoner-excluded case rates. 
  2. Newly Registered Otero Death:  Last week the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s (CDPHE) website reflected an additional Otero County death.  I have talked with Otero County Coroner Bob Fowler, and we both do not have any details regarding this death.  I have contacted CDPHE regarding this, and am awaiting an answer.  After I hear back from CDPHE, I will update you.
  3. COVID-19 Informational Graphics:  For COVID-19 informational graphics in multiple languages, please visit this website: 

https://covid19.colorado.gov/for-lphas-health-care-providers/communication-resources/social-media-graphics

  1. 11/5/2020 Governor’s Office Update:  Please see the first attachment, and carefully read and consider the COVID-19 Trends, Step Up Colorado, and Cancel Your Social Plans sections. 
  2. Baca County Update:  This morning I received an update from our friends in Baca County, please find it attached. 
  3. School Webpages:  Please visit these websites for school-specific information and updates regarding COVID-19:

a.       Cheraw:  https://www.cheraw.k12.co.us/

b.      Crowley County:  http://www.cck12.net/

c.       Fowler:  http://www.fowler.k12.co.us/

d.      La Junta:  https://www.lajuntaschools.org/

e.       Manzanola:  https://www.manzanola.k12.co.us/

f.       OJC:  https://www.ojc.edu/

g.      Rocky Ford:  https://www.rockyfordk12.org/

h.      Swink:  https://www.swinkk12.net/

  1. Summaries

a.       CDPHE COVID-19 Data Webpage:  https://covid19.colorado.gov/data

b.      Crowley County (numbers are cumulative)

ü  Total Cases:  199

o   Change from last Friday’s update:  104 cases added (Please see #1 above and Facility Outbreaks below).

ü  Total COVID Related Deaths:  1

o   Change from last Friday’s update:  0

ü  Facility Outbreaks

o   Crowley County Correctional Facility

§  Previously Resolved Outbreak

·         Date outbreak was considered closed:  7/20/2020

·         Number of prisoners positive for COVID (lab confirmed):  66

·         Number of staff positive for COVID (lab confirmed):  4

§  Currently Active Outbreak

·         Number of prisoners positive for COVID (lab confirmed):  97

o   Arkansas Valley Correctional Facility

§  Status:  Active

§  Number of prisoners positive for COVID (lab confirmed):  2

c.       Otero County (numbers are cumulative)

ü  Total Cases:  199

o   Change from last Friday’s update:  41 cases added.

ü  Total COVID Related Deaths:  7

o   Change from last Friday’s update:  0

ü  Facility Outbreaks

o   Lewis Bolt and Nut

§  Status:  Resolved

§  Date outbreak was considered closed:  10/27/2020

§  Number of staff positive for COVID-19 (lab confirmed):  3

§  Number of staff with probable COVID-19 (NOT lab confirmed):  11

o   Pioneer Healthcare Center

§  Status:  Resolved

§  Date outbreak was considered closed:  9/18/2020

§  Number of residents positive for COVID (lab confirmed):  20

§  Number of staff positive for COVID-19 (lab confirmed):  14

§  Number of COVID related deaths (lab confirmed):  5

o   Swink High School

§  Status:  Resolved

§  Date outbreak was considered closed:  10/19/2020

§  Number of staff with probable COVID-19 (NOT lab confirmed):  1

§  Number of attendees who are positive for COVID-19 (lab confirmed):  2

§  Number of attendees with probable COVID-19 (NOT lab confirmed):  5

d.      Crowley/Otero COVID-19 Related Hospitalization(s):  1 hospitalization added since last Friday’s update.

e.       State of Colorado (numbers are cumulative) (https://covid19.colorado.gov/data)

ü  121,006 cases

ü  9,714 hospitalized

ü  64 counties

ü  1,287,081 people tested

ü  2,158 deaths due to COVID-19

ü  1,350 outbreaks (view outbreak data:  https://covid19.colorado.gov/outbreak-data)

ü  COVID-19 Dial Dashboard:  https://covid19.colorado.gov/data/covid-19-dial/covid-19-dial-dashboard

f.       United States (numbers are cumulative)

ü  Total Cases:  9,463,782

ü  Total Deaths:  233,129

ü  Data Source:  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

o   Website:  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/cases-in-us.html 

g.      Global (numbers are cumulative)

ü  Confirmed Cases:  48,196,862

ü  Deaths:  1,226,813

ü  Data Source:  Who Health Organization (WHO)

o   Website:  https://covid19.who.int/

  1. What can you do RIGHT NOW?

ü  Read, understand, and comply with public health orders!  Public health orders can be found here:  https://covid19.colorado.gov/prepare-protect-yourself/prevent-the-spread/public-health-executive-orders

ü  Prevent the spread of COVID-19: https://covid19.colorado.gov/prevention 

ü  Limit workplace violence:  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/organizations/business-employers/limit-workplace-violence.html

ü  Use COVID-19 informational graphics:  https://covid19.colorado.gov/for-lphas-health-care-providers/communication-resources/social-media-graphics

ü  Stay home if you are sick and, if needed, call your medical provider.

ü  Wear an appropriate mask if you must go out for an essential activity.

ü  If you are in a high risk group, take extra precautions.

ü  Cover your cough and/or sneeze.

ü  Keep your fingers and hands away from your face.

ü  Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly.

ü  Stay informed by trusted and reliable sources.  Be careful about believing what you read on social media sites.  Trusted sources/websites:

o   Otero County Health Department (OCHD):  https://www.oterogov.com

o   Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):  https://www.cdc.gov

o   Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE):  https://covid19.colorado.gov/

ü  Do these things so you will be prepared, and not scared.

ü  And remember, “This too shall pass.”

Thanks to everyone who is doing their part to stop the spread!  It is, after all, up to us. 

Richard Ritter, Executive Director

Otero County Health Department

13 West 3rd Street, Room 111

La Junta, Colorado 81050

719-383-3045 (Office)

719-383-3060 (Fax)

rritter@oterogov.org

Today, Governor Polis was joined by State Epidemiologist Dr. Rachel Herlihy to provide an update on the latest COVID-19 modeling from CDPHE, and emphasized the importance of taking three important steps to slow the spread of the virus during the month of November: 1) Interact with only those in your household 2) Keep your distance 3) Wear a Mask. 
 
Since the beginning of this pandemic, the Governor has been proud of Coloradans’ response. By no means have these last few months been easy, but we have risen to the challenge. Colorado was one of the first states to reopen our economies and by many standards, we have fared better than our neighboring states throughout the year. 
 
However, we are experiencing a shift. We have now surpassed the hospitalization level we fought in March. And unfortunately, it is likely that we will surpass peak hospitalizations seen back in April over the next 24 hours. 
 
The data provided a stark reminder to Coloradans that cases and hospitalizations continue rising at alarming and unsustainable rates:
 
  • Colorado has had three waves of illness:
  • Spring
  • Summer
  • Fall (current) 
  • At this point, we are at our highest case count since the beginning of the pandemic:
  • Yesterday, over 3,000 (3,369) new positive cases were reported, the highest number reported in a single day.
  • As of today, we have exceeded our Spring peak of hospitalizations.  
  • Disease rates vary by county, however, most counties in the state have experienced a rise in cases:
  • 53 Counties in local mitigation efforts
  • 28 Counties with Stay at Home levels of incidence
  • Every week our hospitalizations have increased faster than the previous week. 
 
Our healthcare system will be put at-risk if we remain on our current path of disease transmission, which projects that we could surpass our ICU hospital bed capacity in late December. At that point, hospitals would need to go into surge capacity. 
 
We need to get back to doing what we know works best. Each of us has a responsibility to do our part by wearing masks, avoiding gatherings with people outside of our household, physically distancing, and washing our hands. So, let’s do it.  

It is painfully apparent that Coloradans have become complacent over the last few weeks. Factors like lapses in following guidelines, more time indoors due to approaching colder weather, holiday season travel, and flu season, means that we must renew our commitment to taking life-saving precautions. 
 
As part of the State of Colorado's “Step Up” campaign, Governor Polis previewed a video that is out online and on television, sharing three key steps that Coloradans need to take during the month of November in order to slow the spread of this virus:
 
  1. Interact with only those in your household: This means we all need to do our best to avoid any social interactions with friends and family outside of our homes throughout the month of November. Of course Coloradans will continue essential activities like going to work. 
  2. Keep your distance: Just because you’re wearing a mask does mean that you are not at-risk while interacting with others in close proximity. We need to do a better job of staying six or more feet away from others. 
  3. Wear a mask: The numbers are clear. If you wear a mask, you have a much lower risk of getting or transmitting the virus. 
 
In the video, Dr. Herlihy mentions the statistic that about 1 in 145 Coloradans in Denver are contagious with COVID-19. Today, that number is closer to 1 in 100, which demonstrates just how quickly the situation is changing. During the press conference, Dr. Herlihy also pointed out that Colorado’s hospitalizations have nearly reached the peak the state hit this Spring, and showed a visualization of the time lapse of one week incidence per 100,000 people over the past several weeks. 
 
You can watch the video featuring Dr. Herlihy by clicking the button below, and view other
"Step Up" videos in English and Spanish here.
 
Governor Polis has a difficult message for Coloradans: Cancel your social plans. The Governor is tired of this virus too. There will be a day when we can all gather together again -- without our masks, but we are not there yet. 
 
The Governor encourages Coloradans to postpone social plans for the next few weeks -- or even a month. This may sound like a daunting task, but if done together and immediately, we have the opportunity to change the trajectory of these trends for the end of the year.
 
It all comes down to the power of choice. Think twice before deciding to host a dinner party with a group of friends or choosing not to wear a mask when you’re around people from outside of your household. These decisions ultimately put yourself and others at risk, jeopardize efforts to reopen our economy, and make it that much harder for local businesses to remain open. 
 
This is a wake up call. Let’s show the grit we need to bear down, cancel our social plans, avoid interactions with others, and get through this together. 
 
Governor Polis today spoke to what Coloradans have been seeing over the past 48 hours since Election Day. Here in Colorado, we saw our biggest voter turnout in state history and further cemented our status as a national model for holding safe, secure, and reliable elections. 
 
The Governor thanks Secretary of State Jena Griswold and her team, and the county clerks and volunteer election judges across our state, who worked tirelessly to ensure that Colorado is counted among the places in the nation to cast a ballot. 
 
Coloradans spoke clearly -- casting their ballots for change at the federal level.
 
Colorado voters also voted to ensure that Colorado can continue to be one of the best places in the nation to live, work and play. Voters:
 
  • Overwhelmingly supported a measure to provide free preschool to every four-year-old in our state;
  • Repealed the Gallagher Amendment to support our firefighters, small businesses, and local communities; and
  • Provided tax relief for every Coloradan and paved the way for broader fiscal and tax reform. 
While many of us are ready for this election to be over, uncertainty remains surrounding the outcome of the presidential race, along with many other federal races -- and we must be patient in waiting for those final results. 
 
It’s clear that our country remains divided, and for many people, this election was all too personal. Maybe you lost a loved one to COVID-19 or have seen your business suffer because of the pandemic, or suffered job loss. 
 
The Colorado Way means that regardless of your political affiliation or the outcome of this election, we remember that above all else, we are Coloradans, and we come together when times get tough. And now more than ever, is the time to come together to emerge stronger and more resilient from this pandemic.


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