6/24/2021 Crowley/Otero COVID-19 Update #1: Weekly Update
 (1) (2).jpg)
Description: 6/24/2021 Crowley/Otero COVID-19 Update #1: Weekly Update
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 Thursday 6/24/2021 at 9:31 a.m.
PLEASE DISTRIBUTE THIS WIDELY
6/24/2021 Crowley/Otero COVID-19 Update #1: Weekly Update
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.
Please find this week’s COVID-19 updates below.
- Current Crowley/Otero COVID-19 Status
ü 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
ü COVID-19 Dashboard: COVID-19 dial dashboard | Colorado COVID-19 Updates
ü Crowley County: Crowley remains in Green Level with a current 1 week cumulative incidence rate of ZERO for the data period of 6/16/2021-6/22/2021. Crowley has been in Green Level for 15 consecutive days.
ü Otero County: Otero just went over the threshold and back into Blue Level with a current 1 week cumulative incidence rate of 38.3 for the data period of 6/16/2021-6/22/2021. Otero had been in Green Level for 13 consecutive days.
- Crowley County Vaccination Rate: Because of a sizeable prison population in Crowley County, the vaccination rates that you see published for Crowley County are artificially lower. The reason for this is that the calculation the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) uses to determine the vaccination rate includes the prison population in the overall Crowley County population. Because this increases the denominator of the fraction used in the calculation, the resulting rate (or the quotient) is decreased. The CDPHE vaccination website Vaccine data | Colorado COVID-19 Updates reported (as of the time stamp noted above) that the Crowley County doses administered per 100,000 people (vaccination rate) was 34,921.2. Once again, the calculation used to generate this rate includes the prison population in the denominator.
When I calculate the rate, excluding the prison population in the denominator of the fraction, the resulting rate is 56,572.8 as of the time stamp noted above.
- Current State Public Health Order (PHO) 20-38, Third Amendment:
ü Face coverings: Face coverings are required for certain individuals, age twelve (12) and older, in the following settings:
§ Unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated students, staff, and visitors to preschool through grade 12 schools (including extracurricular activities) and child care centers and services, including camps, except while participating in outdoor activities;
§ Unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated staff of Colorado Department of Motor Vehicle offices;
§ Unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated residents, staff, and visitors to Prisons;
§ Unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated residents, staff, and visitors to Jails;
§ Unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated patients, visitors, and personnel in emergency medical and other healthcare settings (including hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, urgent care centers, clinics, doctors’ offices, and non-urgent care medical structures).
§ Exceptions to the face covering requirements include:
· Individuals 11 years of age or younger;
· Individuals who cannot medically tolerate a face covering;
· Individuals participating in one of the following activities:
a. Individuals who are hearing impaired or otherwise disabled or who are communicating with someone who is hearing impaired or otherwise disabled and where the ability to see the mouth is essential to communication;
b. Individuals who enter a business or receive services and are asked to temporarily remove a face covering for identification purposes;
c. Individuals who are actively engaged in a public safety role, such as law enforcement officers, firefighters, or emergency medical personnel;
d. Individuals who are officiating or participating in a life rite or religious service where the temporary removal of a face covering is necessary to complete or participate in the life rite or religious service.
· Face coverings of unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated individuals may be removed in a school classroom setting for the limited purpose of playing an instrument that cannot otherwise be played while wearing a face covering.
ü PHO 20-38, Third Amendment can be found here: 3rd Amended PHO 20-38.53121.pdf - Google Drive
ü For questions regarding state requirements, please contact Su Korbitz (719-241-4372, ehdir@oterogov.org) or Tony Harviston (719-383-3087, eha@oterogov.org)
- Mask and Vaccination Guidelines for Businesses: Please see the attached document, or you can check it out online at https://drive.google.com/file/
d/ 1l4AGU3QtFp7TUgmqQ3eesjBc8rzre 7wC/view
- The Delta Variant: You may have heard reports of the Delta Variant, what is this? The Delta Variant is still a Coronavirus, it’s still classified as the virus that causes COVID-19 disease, but it is genetically different from the original COVID-19 virus that started this damnable pandemic. Simply put, it is a mutation. This genetic difference can sometimes be very significant, because studies have shown that certain variants are more transmissible and can cause more severe disease. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) calls these “variant of concern”, and further states that they are “A variant for which there is evidence of an increase in transmissibility, more severe disease (e.g., increased hospitalizations or deaths), significant reduction in neutralization by antibodies generated during previous infection or vaccination, reduced effectiveness of treatments or vaccines, or diagnostic detection failures.”
You can go to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s (CDPHE) website and monitor where specific variants have been identified in Colorado, and here is the website: COVID-19 data | Colorado COVID-19 Updates Scroll downward and click on the link entitled “Variants of concern by county”. At the top of the table, you will see columns with letters and numbers. These letters and numbers are the designations for variants that are concerning to us, and the designation “B.1.617.2” is the Delta Variant. When you look at this table, you will note that it has not yet been detected in Crowley or Otero County. However, given our very mobile society, and adding in the fact that we are in the Summer driving/vacation season, in my estimation it is only a matter of time before we detect the Delta Variant in Crowley and Otero Counties (I sincerely hope my estimation is wrong).
Should this concern us? Yes. Why is that? Here is what Dr. Rachel Herlihy, our State Epidemiologist, has said about the Delta Variant: “The Delta variant is more transmissible than other types of COVID-19 that we’ve seen to date. So it’s about 50% more transmissible than the U.K. or Alpha variant, and that variant was actually already about 50% more transmissible than earlier strains of the virus. We also know that it causes more severe disease. We’re actually seeing about double the hospitalization rate.”; “When individuals do become exposed and then infected, and are symptomatic, they’re about twice as likely to be hospitalized. So, that’s certainly a concerning characteristic.”
What if a person has been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 with one of the three currently approved vaccines (Johnson & Johnson, Moderna, Pfizer), does that offer any protection? According to Dr. Herlihy, “Getting fully vaccinated is the best protection against COVID-19, including the Delta variant.” And according to the CDC, “ So far, studies suggest that the current authorized vaccines work on the circulating variants. Scientists will continue to study these and other variants.” (About Variants of the Virus that Causes COVID-19 | CDC) In addition to vaccination, what are some other simple steps you can take to protect yourself and your family from COVID-19, including the Delta Variant? Please see #11 below.
I have attached a very recent CDPHE press release on the Delta Variant.
My staff and I will continue to watch the Delta Variant story closely as it unfolds in our state. Among other things, we will continue to monitor information on transmission; disease severity; mortality; hospitalizations; and any CDPHE requirements, regulations, and/or guidance that may be forthcoming. I will continue to keep you informed through these updates.
- CDPHE Spanish Language COVID-19 Website: Home- Español | Colorado COVID-19 Updates
- Free Community Testing: Our local testing schedule is as follows until further notice:
ü Location: Crowley County Nursing Center
§ Address: 401 Idaho, Ordway
§ Date: Wednesdays
§ Time: 9am-11am
ü Location: Rocky Ford Public Safety Building
§ Address: 300 South Main Street, Rocky Ford
§ Date: Wednesdays
§ Time: 12:30pm-3:30pm
- VACCINATION INFORMATION
a. Vaccination Appointments: If you would like to make an appointment for a COVID-19 vaccination, please call Carolina Cortez at 719-468-8083.
b. Ayuda En Espanol (Spanish Language Assistance): Para ayuda en Espanol, habla con Debbie Jaramillo en 719-383-3040 por favor (For help in Spanish, please call Debbie Jaramillo at 719-383-3040).
c. OCHD Vaccines: OCHD is using Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson and Johnson (Janssen) vaccines.
ü Pfizer vaccine information: Coronavirus COVID-19 Vaccine Update: Latest Developments | Pfizer
ü Moderna vaccine information: Moderna’s Fully Enrolled Phase 3 COVE Study of mRNA-1273 | Moderna, Inc. (modernatx.com)
ü Johnson and Johnson (Janssen) vaccine information: Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine Official Website
d. Booster Shots
ü Where to go to get your booster shot: If you received your first vaccination through OCHD, we will contact you to arrange a time for your booster shot. If you received your first shot at another medical provider (i.e., your doctor’s office or pharmacy), please contact them regarding your booster shot. Regardless of where you go to get your booster shot, please be sure to bring your COVID-19 vaccination card that you received during your initial vaccination.
ü Booster Shot Timing: Here is the CDPHE information regarding the timing of booster shots: “If it isn’t possible to get the second dose on the right day, the second dose can be given up to 42 days later. If the second dose is given earlier than the recommended date, a dose given no more than four days early is considered a valid dose.” Here is the website where you can read the above information COVID-19 Vaccine frequently asked questions | Colorado COVID-19 Updates and the information is under the heading entitled “Getting your second dose of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine”.
ü Booster shot appointments: If you received your first dose of COVID-19 vaccine from OCHD, we will contact you to make an appointment for your booster shot. We are having some trouble contacting a few people because they are not answering their phones nor returning messages. Please answer your phone or return a message from OCHD so we can schedule your booster shot appointment.
e. More Vaccine Information: Colorado-specific information on COVID-19 vaccine can be found here:
ü Colorado COVID-19 Vaccine Website: COVID-19 vaccine | Colorado COVID-19 Updates
ü Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): COVID-19 Vaccine frequently asked questions | Colorado COVID-19 Updates
ü Learn about COVID-19 vaccines: Learn about COVID-19 vaccines | Colorado COVID-19 Updates
ü Colorado Vaccine Dashboard (including county-level data): Vaccine data | Colorado COVID-19 Updates
ü Currently approved vaccine side-by-side comparisons: https://astho.org/COVID-19/
ü CDPHE COVID-19 vaccine hotline: This is a state-wide call center for the public to ask questions specifically about the COVID-19 vaccine. The hotline is open hours a day, seven days a week. The toll-free number is 1-877-CO VAX CO (1-877-268-2926).
- COVID-19 Test Information
a. Basic Information: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has some good, general information on the different types of COVID-19 tests about which you may have heard. To review this information, please go to the following website: Coronavirus Disease 2019 Testing Basics (fda.gov)
b. State Testing Sites: Here is a website that details COVID-19 testing sites across the state of Colorado: CDPHE Test Sites Portal (colorado.gov)
- Summaries
a. Crowley County
ü COVID-19 Rate Color/Level Status: COVID-19 dial dashboard | Colorado COVID-19 Updates
ü COVID-19 Data: COVID-19 data | Colorado COVID-19 Updates
o Click on “Case Summary” at the top/left
o Then click on “Maps” on the right
ü Facility outbreak information can be viewed here: https://covid19.colorado.gov/
o Important Note: Facility outbreak numbers (i.e. prisoners and nursing home residents) are only updated by CDPHE once per week, on Wednesdays after 4:00pm. Total case numbers, on the other hand, are updated daily by CDPHE. This means that there could be facility cases reflected in the total case numbers that are not yet reflected in the facility numbers. And remember, total case numbers are cumulative, meaning they include all cases since the outbreak began.
ü Total COVID-19 Related Deaths: 16
o Change from the last weekly update: 0
b. Otero County
ü COVID-19 Rate Color/Level Status: COVID-19 dial dashboard | Colorado COVID-19 Updates
ü COVID-19 Data: COVID-19 data | Colorado COVID-19 Updates
o Click on “Case Summary” at the top/left
o Then click on “Maps” on the right
ü Facility outbreak information can be viewed here: https://covid19.colorado.gov/
o Important Note: Facility outbreak numbers (i.e. prisoners and nursing home residents) are only updated by CDPHE once per week, on Wednesdays after 4:00pm. Total case numbers, on the other hand, are updated daily by CDPHE. This means that there could be facility cases reflected in the total case numbers that are not yet reflected in the facility numbers. And remember, total case numbers are cumulative, meaning they include all cases since the outbreak began.
ü Total COVID-19 Related Deaths: 68
o Change from the last weekly update: 1
c. Crowley/Otero COVID-19 Related Hospitalization(s): One new hospitalization since the last weekly update.
d. State of Colorado Information: https://covid19.colorado.gov/
e. United States Information: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) | CDC
f. Global information: https://covid19.who.int/
- What can you do RIGHT NOW?
ü Read, understand, and comply with public health orders. Public health orders can be found here: https://covid19.colorado.gov/
ü Prevent the spread of COVID-19: https://covid19.colorado.gov/
ü Stay home if you are sick and, if needed, call your medical provider.
ü Wear an appropriate mask when required to do so.
ü If you are in a high risk group, take extra precautions.
a. CDPHE: People at higher risk for severe illness | Colorado COVID-19 Updates
b. CDC: Do I need to Take Extra Precautions Against COVID-19 | CDC
ü Cover your cough and/or sneeze.
ü Keep your fingers and hands away from your face.
ü Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly.
ü Stay informed by trusted and reliable sources. Be careful about believing what you read on social media sites. Trusted sources/websites:
o Otero County Health Department (OCHD): Home | Otero County (colorado.gov)
o Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): https://www.cdc.gov
o Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE): https://covid19.colorado.gov/
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)
Follow SECO News on Facebook.
Subscribe to the SECO News YouTube Channel.
Healthcare Sponsor
.jpg)
.png)
.png)
