Record Positivity Trends Continue; Rapid Response Testing to Return

08 Dec Record Positivity Trends Continue; Rapid Response Testing to Return

Record positivity trends continue, CDPHE Rapid Response Testing to return. County seeing the effects of Thanksgiving holiday gatherings and travel exposure.

For up-to-date coronavirus information visit here.

For more information about the state’s COVID-19 dial, visit here.

For more information on Covid testing, visit here.

Grace Franklin, County Public Health Director.

San Miguel County Public Health has logged record new positives in the first week of December. With 57 positive test results reported to-date in the month of December alone, COVID-19 is not revealing any signs of slowing as vaccines are still months away.

“The effects of the county’s shift to Level Red: Severe Risk will not be reflected in our metrics immediately. The sharp increase in positive cases is a direct result of the Thanksgiving holiday gatherings and travel. It is exactly what our protocol change was working to prevent,” said Public Health Director Grace Franklin. “One thing is glaringly obvious when looking at the facts, we need to make drastic changes to our behavior now and stick to them. It is going to be difficult, but it is worth the work.”

San Miguel County advanced COVID protocol to Level Red: Severe Risk on Friday, November 27. According to the state’s dial framework, Level Red is the last stage before Level Purple: Extreme Risk, which would result in a stay-at-home order.

A Level Purple stay-at-home order will only be put in place if hospital capacity is compromised.

According to Public Health, hospital capacity is considered compromised when hospitals have exceeded capability to provide care or accommodate additional patients based on ICU stays, hospital bed use and ventilator availability. Capacity is analyzed daily in order to ensure that patient safety with not be compromised. The ability of regional hospitals to accommodate new patients is critical for COVID patients as well as patients suffering from ski injuries, heart failure, stroke and more.

“Our residents have the power to turn this around, they must take personal responsibility for regulating their contact budgets and daily behavior before Level Purple is our only option. To put it bluntly, behave as if every person with whom you come into contact has COVID,” urged Franklin.

In response to current positivity trends, San Miguel County is working with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) to bring back Rapid Response.

Testing in Telluride on Monday, December 14 and Norwood on Tuesday, December 15. Clinics will be administered with the assistance of the National Guard. Registration is required and can be found on the San Miguel County COVID-19 testing page and across Public Health social media channels.

Public Health has confirmed 36 new positive cases of COVID-19 from test results received from December 5 through 7. Of these cases, all 36 are residents and all actively contagious cases are currently in isolation. There have been 283 total COVID cases among residents to date with 47 active cases.

To learn more about the County’s current COVID-19 metrics, please visit the County COVID-19 dashboard.

• 79-year-old male, resident, symptomatic, household
• 76-year-old male, resident, symptomatic, community
• 74-year-old female, resident, symptomatic, community
• 72-year-old male, resident symptomatic, community
• 69-year-old male, resident, symptomatic, household
• 61-year-old male, resident, symptomatic, household
• 60-year-old male, resident, symptomatic, household
• 58-year-old male, resident, asymptomatic, workplace
• 54-year old female, resident, symptomatic, travel
• 51-year-old male, resident, symptomatic, workplace
• 48-year-old female, resident, symptomatic, household
• 42-year-old male, resident, asymptomatic, workplace
• 42-year-old female, resident symptomatic, workplace
• 41-year-old male, resident, symptomatic, community
• 32-year-old female, resident, symptomatic, household
• 31-year-old female, resident, symptomatic, household
• 30-year-old male, resident, symptomatic household
• 30-year-old male, resident, symptomatic, community
• 30-year-old male, resident, symptomatic, household
• 29-year-old male, resident, symptomatic, social
• 29-year-old female, resident, symptomatic, community
• 28-year-old female, resident, symptomatic, workplace
• 27-year-old male, resident, symptomatic, travel
• 27-year-old female, resident, symptomatic, household
• 24-year-old female, resident, symptomatic, community
• 24-year-old male, resident, symptomatic, community
• 24-year-old female, resident, asymptomatic, community
• 24-year-old male, resident, symptomatic, social
• 24-year-old male, resident, symptomatic, social
• 23-year-old male, resident, symptomatic, community
• 23-year-old female, resident, no information available regarding symptoms or exposure
• 23-year-old female, resident, symptomatic, social
• 22-year-old female, resident, symptomatic, household
• 21-year-old female, resident, symptomatic, workplace
• 18-year-old male, resident, symptomatic, travel
• 2-year-old male, resident, asymptomatic, household

San Miguel County will continue posting caseload updates at least twice a week. The next update will be published on Friday, December 11.

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