THIS IS A RAPIDLY EVOLVING AND FLUID SITUATION.  INFORMATION AND ACTION ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT ANY TIME.  BE PREPARED TO BE FLEXIBLE AND PATIENT.

The situations, numbers, website links, data, and etc. described below were current as of Monday 4/26/2021 at 1:22 p.m.

PLEASE DISTRIBUTE THIS WIDELY

4/26/2021 Crowley/Otero COVID-19 Update #1:  Status Update; Johnson and Johnson (Janssen) Vaccine Use Resuming; Remainder of School Year; Requirements/Recommendations

Please take the time to read and understand this entire message.

Internet links:  Before I send out each update, I check the links to make sure they are active.  However, links do change from time to time, so the links I sent out today may not be the same tomorrow.  You may have to search around a bit.

1. Current Crowley/Otero COVID-19 Status: 
1. One Week Cumulative Incidence Rate (per 100,000) Ranges

§ Green Level:  0-35

§ Blue Level:  36-100

§ Yellow Level:  101-300

§ Orange Level:  301-500

2. Crowley & Otero County One Week Cumulative Incidence Rates:  Crowley is still in Blue Level, with a current rate of 83.  Otero is likewise maintaining Blue Level status with a current rate of 93.  A BIG thanks to all of you that are doing your best to keep our rates down! 
3. COVID-19 Status Dashboard:  COVID-19 dial dashboard | Colorado COVID-19 Updates
4. Keeping Our Rates Down:  How can we do this?  The Governor’s Office shared these great suggestions on 4/13/2021:   

“Along with getting the vaccine as soon as one becomes available, it’s crucial that Coloradans continue to take good sense safety measures including:

a.      Wearing masks

b.      Social distancing

c.       Staying home when sick

d.      Getting tested if you think you have been exposed to someone with COVID

e.       Gathering outside in small groups instead of opting for indoors

2. Johnson and Johnson (Janssen) Vaccine Use Resuming:  On 4/23/2021, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) issued the following statement:  “In response to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announcement that providers should resume using the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) and the Colorado Joint Vaccine Task Force are alerting providers they can proceed with using the Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) COVID-19 vaccine immediately.  “We are happy to have this highly effective, one-dose vaccine back as an option for Coloradans,” said Dr. Eric France, CDPHE chief medical officer. “We appreciate the caution the CDC and FDA took to evaluate the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and are ready to ramp back up distribution as quickly as possible.”  I have attached the press release.

 

3. Remainder of School Year:  Schools are arguably the hubs of our communities, and because of this there is a TON of activity centered around them.  The end of the school year is a perfect example of this with proms and graduations.  And, of course, these are activities that bring lots of people together in close proximity.  This situation is the perfect opportunity for COVID-19 to spread.  Because of this, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) has issued specific school guidance for proms and graduations to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission.  Notice I did not say “eliminate” the risk, because when you get people together there is still the element of transmission risk, the key is to reduce that risk while still allowing the activity. 

Summer break, we are almost there!  Just a few more weeks to go.  I understand from a personal perspective just how difficult all of this has been on students and families, because I have 3 kids that are in junior and senior high right now.  I also understand, from a professional perspective, just how dangerous COVID-19 can be.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provisional data currently ranks COVID-19 as the 3^rd leading cause of death in the U.S. for the year 2020 (Provisional Mortality Data — United States, 2020 | MMWR (cdc.gov)).  Our death rate (per 100,000 population) in Otero County is currently the 2^nd highest in the state (as of the time of this writing).  Additionally, some local survivors of COVID-19 describe a very, very severe illness. 

Here is how you can access the data on Colorado COVID-19 related death rates:

1.      Go to COVID-19 data | Colorado COVID-19 Updates

2.      Click on “Case Summary” at the top left

3.      After the page loads, click on “Maps” on the right side

4.      Then, click on “Death Among Cases Rate Per 100K below “Maps”

5.      Look at the bar graph on the right side

Some schools are working very hard to reduce COVID-19 transmission risk, taking the risk very seriously.  They are following CDPHE prom and graduation guidance to protect our kids, mine included, and I very much appreciate that!  But it is just not our kids they are protecting.  Our kids will leave prom/graduation and be exposed to many other people.  If they contract COVID-19 at one of these school events due to lack of transmission control, then they can spread it to another person who may have a severe, chronic health condition (i.e. cancer patient on chemotherapy) that predispose them to a bad outcome (i.e. severe illness/death).  So when our schools take steps to limit COVID-19 spread, it is not just our kids they are protecting.  They are protecting our communities.  PLEASE, do all you can to cooperate with your schools regarding COVID-19 risk reduction.

There are some of the opinion that we should not even be having proms and graduations.  On the other side, there are those that think we should not have any restrictions.  Let’s all of us (students, parents, & schools) meet in the middle by following CDPHE guidance.  Doing this does not guarantee elimination of transmission risk, but it does reduce it so that our students can enjoy these events in a less risky environment and make lasting memories.  It’s up to us. 

4. Crowley/Otero COVID-19 Requirements & Recommendations:  Effective 4/16/2021 and until further notice, the following are the COVID-19 requirements & recommendations for Crowley and Otero Counties:

1. REQUIREMENTS: 

§ Masks continue to be required in the following settings/places (statewide requirement):

·         Schools (including for extracurricular activities);

·         Child care centers;

·         Indoor children’s camps;

·         Public-facing state government facilities;

·         Emergency medical and other healthcare settings (including hospitals, ambulance service centers, urgent care centers, non-ambulatory surgical structures, clinics, doctors’ offices, and non-urgent care medical structures);

·         Personal services (i.e. hair salons, nail salons, esthetician services, body art professionals, etc.);

·         Limited health care settings as defined by Public Health Order (PHO) 20-36;

·         Congregate care facilities (nursing facilities, assisted living residences, intermediate care facilities, and group homes); &

·         Prisons and jails.

·         PHO 20-38 rate-specific requirement:  “For counties with a one week disease incidence rate in excess of 35 per 100,000, face coverings are also required pursuant to Executive Order D 2020 138, as amended and extended, in a Public Indoor Space, as defined in Executive Order D 2020 138, as amended and extended, where 10 or more unvaccinated individuals or individuals of unknown vaccination status are present.”

o   This currently applies to both Crowley and Otero Counties. 

o   For questions regarding this state requirement, please contact Su Korbitz (719-241-4372, ehdir@oterogov.org) or Tony Harviston (719-383-3087, eha@oterogov.org)

·         Executive Orders & Public Health Orders (PHO) can be found here:  Public health & executive orders | Colorado COVID-19 Updates

§ Under current state requirement, 6 foot social distancing is required between parties in mass indoor gatherings that exceed 100 people (for unvaccinated people or when vaccination status is unknown).

2. RECOMMENDATIONS:  Additionally, I am making the following recommendations based upon the recent case increases in Crowley and Otero Counties:

§ I would strongly urge all those that have not been vaccinated to wear a mask when in any public places, including employees/staff of businesses.

§ If you have been vaccinated but you have not had 14 full days elapse since being vaccinated with Johnson and Johnson vaccine, or 14 full days have not elapsed since your booster shot (second shot) of Moderna or Pfizer vaccine, please wear a mask when in any public places, including employees/staff of businesses.  This 14 day period allows your body the necessary time to develop immunity. 

Richard Ritter, Executive Director

Otero County Health Department

13 West 3rd Street, Room 111

La Junta, Colorado 81050

719-383-3045 (Office)

719-383-3060 (Fax)

rritter@oterogov.org