SM County: Free Access to COVID Testing; Level Red = Severe Risk!

27 Nov SM County: Free Access to COVID Testing; Level Red = Severe Risk!

In Telluride and throughout San Miguel County, Safer at Home Public Health Order escalated to Stay at Home Level Red – Severe Risk. Positive COVID cases spread without signs of slowing; urgent mitigation escalation enacted.

Grace Franklin, County Public Health Director.

San Miguel County Public Health implemented a new public health order moving the county to Stay at Home Level Red Severe Risk Friday morning at 1 a.m. MST. Positive cases across the county continue to rise and urgent mitigation efforts include possible fines of up to $5000 for violations of the public health order.

“We’re on the edge of making or breaking the county’s winter season. This is what we have been preparing for since March and we are now learning that COVID-19 is a heartier virus in the cold, dry climate of winter. I implore you to augment your efforts to change current behaviors as Public Health supports containment through policy change,” said Public Health Director Grace Franklin. “We are working closely with the CDPHE to implement weekly and free access to testing to better inform how our efforts on the regulation side affect the spread of COVID-19.”

In an effort to bolster county testing capacity, Public Health will begin offering free COVID-19 testing weekly throughout the county. Free COVID testing will occur in:

Norwood on Tuesdays from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Norwood Pig Palace at the Fairgrounds;
Telluride on Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Telluride’s Carhenge Parking Lot; and
Mountain Village from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Mountain Village’s Gondola Parking Structure next to Town Hall.

Tests from these clinics will be shipped overnight and processed within 48 hours. Results are guaranteed within 3 to 5 business days.

In order to open these testing clinics, Public Health is outfitting a sprinter van, donated from the San Miguel Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART), bringing a mobile testing unit to the county. This mobile unit will serve the entire county at the free public drive-thru testing in partnership with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE). This form of testing is highly recommended for senior and at-risk populations along with county residents who may have come into contact with the virus.

Public Health will also launch a Google Form next week to enable county residents to anonymously report violations of current Public Health Orders. Regulation will be subject to qualifications set forth by Public Health and local governments to ensure violations are pursued appropriately. The form will be accessible on San Miguel County’s COVID-19 page.

For the most up-to-date information surrounding COVID-19 testing through Public Health, please visit the county COVID testing page.

Public Health has confirmed thirteen new positive cases of COVID-19 from test results received from 11 a.m. MST November 24 through 5 p.m. MST November 26. Of these cases, all thirteen are residents and all of whom are currently in isolation. There have been 196 total COVID cases among residents to date with 18 active cases. To learn more about the County’s current COVID-19 metrics, please visit the County COVID-19 dashboard.

• 69-year-old male, resident, symptomatic, community
• 63-year-old male, resident, symptomatic, community
• 42-year-old male, resident, symptomatic, community
• 42-year-old male, resident, symptomatic, community
• 37-year-old male, resident, asymptomatic, workplace
• 32-year-old female, resident, symptomatic, travel
• 28-year-old female, resident, asymptomatic, community
• 27-year-old male, resident, asymptomatic, community
• 22-year-old female, resident, symptomatic, travel
• 14-year-old female, resident, symptomatic, community
• 51-year-old female, resident, symptomatic, community
• 44-year-old male, resident, symptomatic, community
• 28-year-old female, resident symptomatic, community

San Miguel County will continue posting caseload updates twice a week. The next update will be published on Tuesday, December 1.

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