GCPH issues new PHO which will go into effect tomorrow, April 16, 2021
April Letter to Residents
4/15/21
Fellow Residents,
First and foremost, we are hosting a Mass Vaccine Clinic at Middle Park High School in Granby on April 17th and 18th from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm for anyone 18 years old or older. We will have Moderna vaccine only for this clinic as the Johnson and Johnson vaccine distribution has been paused. Please register for your appointment here.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, in conjunction with Governor Polis, have announced that Dial 3.0 will no longer be mandatory for counties to utilize for COVID-19 suppression efforts, but rather will become guidance, on April 16th, 2021. Governor Polis has encouraged individual counties to adopt their own relevant plans to continue to monitor and suppress severe illness from COVID-19.
- Grand County will be adopting many elements of the State Dial 3.0 Level Blue, with adjustments to capacities as follows:
- All events, industry, and operations may operate at 100% capacity with 6 foot distancing between persons/parties being the primary capacity limiting factor.
- Indoor and outdoor events, regardless of size and venue, are still required to submit plans for approval. Indoor events with greater than 500 in attendance will require CDPHE approval in addition to GCPH approval.
- Capacity restrictions for all business sectors, events, and activities can be found on Grand County’s Quick Reference Capacity Chart.
Please be sure to look at the Grand County Suppression Plan and Consolidated Playbooks for more information relevant to your situation or event. You can also find them at www.co.grand.co.us/COVID19.
The following metrics will be used to monitor disease activity in the county and will determine whether we increase or loosen restrictions moving forward. These metrics will also be displayed on the Grand County dashboard.
- Hospitalizations: We will monitor a rolling two-week period of resident hospitalizations for COVID related complications. Hospitalizations in excess of 10 resident hospitalizations or 10% of cases in a 14 day period (whichever is greater) that would inhibit our County’s ability to continue normal response and transfer operations for other medical needs will indicate the need for increased restrictions. This metric will be added to our dashboard on our website.
- COVID-19 Case Counts: We will continue to monitor our active cases over a rolling seven-day period. A parallel rise in cases and hospitalizations would indicate a need for increased restrictions based on COVID “hot spots” in Grand County indicated in case investigation data.
- Outbreaks: We will continue to monitor for and report outbreaks according to current outbreak definitions and will utilize outbreak mitigation strategies to suppress COVID infection spread.
- Herd Immunity Status: We will continue to monitor COVID-19 vaccine distribution in Grand County. Our ideal goal is 80% of our eligible population will have achieved fully vaccinated status. However, 65%-70% is acceptable by CDC standards. The higher our herd immunity percentage, the less we will experience severe illness in our resident populations.
What doesn’t change?
- Masks are still required in indoor public spaces (and strongly recommended in outdoor areas where distancing is not possible and exposure to others will be greater than 15 minutes) by State Mask Orders due to expire on May 4th. Masks are required in schools, jails, and assisted living centers until the State lifts that requirement. Federal lands and properties are still subject to Federal mask requirements.
- 6 foot distancing between persons/parties of other households in public spaces.
- Positive Case Investigations and Contact Tracing will still be conducted for positive cases.
- Quarantine and Isolation protocols are still required for positive individuals and close contacts. Additionally, a 14-day quarantine is required for those that have been in contact with a Variant of Concern.
- Use of hand sanitizer or hand washing frequently and avoiding touching your face after touching high-touch surfaces.
- Event approvals for all indoor and outdoor events, regardless of size and venue, are still required.
I have been on multiple calls with state leadership and mountain resort community leadership over the last few weeks. Grand County’s Public Health Order is consistent with other resort communities in the response to the State Dial Devolution.
The Grand County Public Health Order will go into effect by 12:01 AM Friday, April 16th.
While we are seeing an expected increase of COVID-19 cases in Grand County after the Spring Break holiday, we are not seeing a parallel increase in hospitalizations or death. These adjustments in our response to COVID-19 should reflect those changes in disease severity and allow for our community to stay cautious but open.
Stay diligent and stay safe!
Sincerely,
Abbie Baker-MPH, CHES
Public Health Director/Epidemiologist
Grand County Public Health
150 Moffat Ave/PO Box 264
Hot Sulphur Springs, CO 80451