Safer At Home Public Health Order: Orange – High Risk!

10 Nov Safer At Home Public Health Order: Orange – High Risk!

Positive COVID cases spread. in San Miguel County without showing signs of slowing down. Urgent mitigation plan enacted. For up-to-date coronavirus information visit here. For more information surrounding the state’s COVID-19 dial, visit here.

Grace Franklin, County Public Health Director.

San Miguel County Public Health has confirmed 13 new positive cases of COVID-19 from test results received the 7th through the 10th of November. Of these cases, 10 are symptomatic residents, one of whom, a 60-year-old female is believed to have contracted COVID-19 while traveling and is currently hospitalized. All 13 positives are currently in isolation. There have been 123 total COVID cases among residents to date with 12 active cases. To learn more about the County’s current COVID-19 metrics, please visit the County COVID-19 dashboard.

“Over the last month, we have seen the highest rates of infection to date,” said Public Health Director Grace Franklin. “San Miguel County’s local economy is dependent on the upcoming months. It is time to hunker down for the sake of our students, for the sake of our economy, for the sake of our community.”

Public Health is advancing San Miguel County’s public health order to Safer at Home Level Orange in an effort to mitigate the widespread transmission of COVID-19 in the region. According to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, this level reduces capacity limits and is more restrictive than Safer at Home Level Yellow, based on the increased number of new cases in a two-week period and increasing rates of hospitalizations. Aggressive action is needed in an effort to quickly control the marked increases in positive cases, but Stay at Home may not yet be warranted.

Some of the new restrictions include:

• All indoor capacity is now restricted to 25% or 50 people, whichever is fewer. This includes restaurants, offices, places of worship, gyms and fitness centers, retail stores.
• Personal gatherings, this includes any gatherings on private property, have been and will remain limited to no more than 10 people from no more than 2 households.
• Group sports are limited to no more than 9 participants and must occur outdoors.
• Nonessential travel plans for the foreseeable future should be canceled.

Dr. Sharon Grundy

“Even with a shift to limiting capacity of public indoor venues, private gatherings will occur, no matter how hard we try to enforce,” said Dr. Sharon Grundy. “We need to reinvigorate our commitment. Stop traveling. Stop gathering. Stop going to work or school with symptoms. Just stay home! If we don’t change our behavior now, we will not have a winter season.”

This change in regulations goes into effect on November 10 at midnight and will remain in place until a measurable decrease in COVID prevalence occurs.

The National Guard will be assisting the county in administering free COVID-19 swab testing on Thursday, November 12 from 7 am to 5 pm. This drive-thru clinic will be located at the county intercept lot at 130 Society Drive in Lawson Hill. Testing will be open to the public and will not require proof of identification. Results should be returned within 3 to 5 business days.

San Miguel County will continue posting caseload updates twice a week. The next update will be published on Friday, November 13.

Details on the 13 active COVID-19 cases reported between the 7th and 10th follow:

• A 60-year-old female and a 28-year-old male contracted COVID-19 while traveling. The female is currently hospitalized.
• A 58-year-old female and a 17-year-old male contracted COVID-19 in the workplace.
• A 34-year-old male and 25-year-old male contracted COVID-19 from community spread.
• A 49-year-old male contracted COVID-19 within his own household.
• A 43-year-old female, 42-year-old male and 27-year-old female contracted COVID-19 from social interactions.
• Three nonresidents are symptomatic, a 41-year-old male, a 40-year-old female and a 28-year-old female.

Five Commitments of Containment:
Wear a mask
Maintain six feet of physical distance
Minimize group size
Wash hands frequently
Stay home when sick and get tested