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 Friday 4/2/2021 at 7:03 pm.

PLEASE DISTRIBUTE THIS WIDELY

4/2/2021 Crowley/Otero COVID-19 Update #2:  Governor Polis to Extend Statewide Mask Order for 30 Days, Adds Transition Plan for Low-Incidence Counties

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.

Hello to all.  Below in yellow highlight is a very important press release issued today (Friday, 4/2/2021) 

Governor Polis to Extend Statewide Mask Order for 30 Days, Adds Transition Plan for Low-Incidence Counties

DENVER - Governor Jared Polis announced that he will be extending the statewide mask order tomorrow with modifications that account for where Colorado is in the pandemic. 

“Here in Colorado we are making incredible progress with getting vaccines into arms and protecting our most vulnerable, but until everyone can get the vaccine and our COVID cases are reduced, taking precautions to prevent a surge in cases and further spread of the disease is the smart thing to do and the right thing to do and helps keep everything open,” said Governor Jared Polis. “By continuing to wear our masks in public indoor settings around others, we can safely enjoy the activities we love and keep our economy open. Every community has been impacted differently by this pandemic, and we want to ensure this order is reflective of that. We’re almost there, Colorado, but we need to keep this up just a little bit longer.”

“I look forward to the day when immunity reaches a level that we no longer have to wear masks. Right now across our state, 1 in 207 people are currently contagious with COVID-19, and only an estimated 27% of Coloradans are already immune through either vaccination or prior infection. In the meantime, we must continue practicing vigilance by wearing masks especially if you aren’t yet fully vaccinated, practicing social distancing when in public and in the company of people with unknown vaccine status. This modified mask order is a step towards the light at the end of the tunnel, and it acknowledges a transition away from most requirements for those counties in level green with very low transmission, 35 cases or less out of every 100,000, and the great achievement they have made towards ending the pandemic,” he continued.

The updated Executive Order will continue to require mask-wearing in all counties in schools (including extracurricular activities), child care centers, indoor children’s camps, public-facing state government facilities, congregate care facilities, prisons, jails, emergency medical and other healthcare settings, and personal services and limited healthcare settings as defined by PHO 20-36. “We fought hard to get Colorado kids back in school successfully, and we’re not going to jeopardize Colorado’s return of in-person learning by changing the mask policy this school year,” Governor Polis added. 

In counties with one week disease incidence rates in excess of 35 per 100,000, which are known in Dial 3.0 as blue, yellow, orange, red, and purple counties, masks must also be worn in all public indoor settings when 10 or more unvaccinated individuals or individuals of unknown vaccination status are present.

The number of counties that are currently in Level Green is 31, representing a population of 238,286 Coloradans. The number of counties in Levels Blue, Yellow, Orange, or Red is 33 representing a population of 5,525,690.

The Executive Order keeps exemptions that were in the prior Executive Orders. 

Read the Fact Sheet here and the full Executive Order here. 

I just checked the newly published data, and as of the time of this writing both Crowley and Otero Counties are meeting all of the metrics for Green Level.  Here are the details:

1.      Crowley

a.       One week cumulative incidence rate per 100,000 (3/26/2021-4/1/2021):  33.16 (must be maintained under 35) OR

b.      Two total new cases within the past 7 days (must be maintained under 11) AND

c.       Adequate hospital capacity

2.      Otero

a.       One week cumulative incidence rate per 100,000 (3/26/2021-4/1/2021):  27.35 (must be maintained under 35) OR

b.      Five total new cases within the past 7 days (must be maintained under 11) AND

c.       Adequate hospital capacity

At the time of this writing, both Crowley and Otero Counties qualify for the transition plan for low incidence (Green Level) counties.  What does this mean?

ü  Effective Saturday, 4/3/2021, in Crowley and Otero masks are only required in the following places (as they are for everywhere else in the state):

o   Schools (including for extracurricular activities);

o   Child care centers;

o   Indoor children’s camps;

o   Public-facing state government facilities;

o   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);

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

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

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

o   Prisons and jails.

ü  In other public indoor places not identified above, masks are not required in Crowley and Otero Counties (this is the transition plan for which we are currently qualified). 

ü  The social distancing order is still in place.

I have attached a fact sheet and the Executive Order, both of which provide more details, please take a look at them.

Please be aware that we are not out of this yet, so remain vigilant and cautious.  We most certainly don’t want to head back in the other direction. 

It’s up to us.

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