SM County: Public Health Continues to Analyze COVID Prevalence

26 Aug SM County: Public Health Continues to Analyze COVID Prevalence

San Miguel County puts out the word: Restrictions pending case trends, positivity, and incidence rates.

For corona vaccine info, visit here.

For up-to-date coronavirus information, visit here.

For free coronavirus testing opportunities, visit here.

For all Covid blogs from San Miguel County, go here.

Grace Franklin, County Public Health Director.

In May, San Miguel County Public Health lifted the county’s public health order to align with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE). This phase of “Align and Observe” came with the stipulation that Public Health would consider adding additional restrictions if the county reached Level Orange metrics.

Over the last week, Public Health has evaluated the current disease burden, hospitalization, and caseload data in the area and determined that, while disease is prevalent in the community, the threshold for additional restrictions had not yet been met.

This threshold requires that two of the three COVID metrics, including positivity, incidence, and hospitalization rates, reside in Level Orange for a sustained period of time. The metrics measured are as follows:

• Incidence: How much the virus is circulating in a county based on per capita of the population.

• Positivity: Whether there is sufficient COVID-19 testing to capture the level of virus transmission based on testing demand and the number of positive test results.

• Hospitalization: Whether hospitalizations are increasing, stable, or declining.

“When any one of these metrics are high, data suggests that more caution should be taken. We must avoid being needlessly reckless in our behaviors as we proactively get transmission under control. Each of us has the tools to help contain the spread,” said Public Health Director Grace Franklin.

In response to the recent spike in COVID cases county-wide, many businesses and entities have implemented mask mandates including Telluride School District. Many others are requiring proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test within 72 hours of attendance. Public Health strongly encourages residents and visitors to stay informed surrounding regulations imposed by festivals, restaurants, bars, retail establishments and all other businesses and entities throughout the county.

Dr Diana Koelliker

“Everybody has to go back to the things that protected us before vaccinations in order to prevent breakthrough cases and unnecessary transmission throughout our communities,” said Diana Koelliker, M.D., Medical Director of Emergency & Trauma Services at TRMC. “And it’s not that vaccinations don’t work – it’s that the Delta variant is a very strong strain of the virus. Unvaccinated hospitalizations are occurring in populations younger than we have seen with other strains. Now is the time to get vaccinated if you haven’t already.”

Public Health has updated the COVID dashboard to include variant prevalence information to better inform the public of the details surrounding wastewater and case data. Vaccine and testing opportunities can be found on the SMC COVID webpage.

Public Health has confirmed 18 new positive cases of COVID-19 from test results received from August 19 through 25. Of these cases, 14 are confirmed as East End residents; two are confirmed as West End residents. As of release time, there are 15 active cases, all actively contagious cases are currently in isolation.

65-year-old male, resident, symptomatic, household
57-year-old male, resident, symptomatic, social
56-year-old male, resident, asymptomatic, household
52-year-old male, resident, symptomatic, social
38-year-old male, nonresident, symptomatic, travel
34-year-old male, nonresident, symptomatic, social
32-year-old male, resident, symptomatic, social
29-year-old female, resident, symptomatic, social
28-year-old female, resident, symptomatic, community
24-year-old female, resident, symptomatic, social
23-year-old female, resident, symptomatic, travel
22-year-old female, resident, symptomatic, social
16-year-old female, resident, symptomatic, community
13-year-old female, resident, symptomatic, household
11-year-old male, resident, symptomatic, social
7-year-old male, resident, symptomatic, social
5-year-old female, resident, symptomatic, community
4-year-old female, resident, symptomatic, household

To-date, there have been 1,000 total COVID cases among residents including 48 breakthrough cases and one COVID-related death.

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

Power The Comeback:

Crowded places, covered faces
Get vaccinated
Stay home when sick and get tested