9/17/2021 Crowley/Otero COVID-19 Update #1: Weekly Update
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Description: 9/17/2021 Crowley/Otero COVID-19 Update #1: Weekly Update
THIS IS A 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 9/17/2021 at 11:20 a.m.
PLEASE DISTRIBUTE THIS WIDELY
9/17/2021 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 Rate 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
§ Red Level: 501+
ü COVID-19 Dashboard: COVID-19 dial dashboard | Colorado COVID-19 Updates
ü Crowley County: Crowley’s rate continues in Blue Level with a current 1 week cumulative incidence rate of 49.73 (for the data period of 9/9/2021-9/15/2021). For this data period, Crowley has had ZERO days where the rate increased over the previous day, 5 days where the rate did not change over the previous day, and 2 days where the rate decreased over the previous day. Crowley has been in Blue Level for 6 days. This is the CDPHE published information available at the time of this writing.
ü Otero County: Otero’s rate continues in Yellow Level with a current 1 week cumulative incidence rate of 196.93 (for the data period of 9/9/2021-9/15/2021). For this data period, Otero has had 2 days where the rate increased over the previous day, ZERO days where the rate did not change over the previous day, and 3 days where the rate decreased over the previous day.
- CDPHE Updated School Guidance: On 9/10/2021 the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) updated and clarified its school guidance. The summary of recent changes includes the following:
ü Updated to recommend universal indoor masking for all students, staff, teachers, and visitors to K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status and at all levels of community transmission.
ü Updated “Table: Criteria for Reduced Quarantine” to remove the community vaccination metric for shifting to use of reduced quarantine for typical classroom exposures.
ü Updated “Table: Criteria for Reduced Quarantine” to increase the threshold for high rates of school community COVID-19 vaccination from 70% to 80%.
ü Added new language emphasizing the importance of improving ventilation and air filtration in reducing the risk of COVID-19 transmission.
ü Clarified recommendations for quarantine determinations based on distance and masking in typical classroom and non-classroom settings in both the body of the guidance and in the updated Who Needs to Quarantine tool.
The guidance continues to recommend that vaccinated individuals do not need to quarantine following an exposure. Unvaccinated students can also avoid quarantine following a typical classroom exposure if both the infected individual and the exposed student were correctly wearing masks, or participating in weekly screening testing.
You can access the guidance here: Practical Guide for Operationalizing CDC’s School Guidance | Colorado COVID-19 Updates
- CDPHE Spanish Language COVID-19 Website: Home- Español | Colorado COVID-19 Updates
- 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).
- COVID-19 Variant Information: As of the time stamp noted above, we have detected the Delta Variant in 10 individuals in Otero and 3 in Crowley.
ü CDPHE Variant Information: COVID-19 data | Colorado COVID-19 Updates
ü CDC Variant Information: SARS-CoV-2 Variant Classifications and Definitions (cdc.gov)
- 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: Otero College
§ Address: 1802 Colorado Avenue, McDivitt Gym, La Junta
§ Date: Wednesdays
§ Time: 12:00pm-4:00pm
- VACCINATION INFORMATION
a. Third Doses of Moderna and Pfizer Now Available: According to CDPHE, “Third doses of Moderna and Pfizer are now available for individuals who are immunocompromised. Just as for age, residency, insurance status, etc., those attesting that their immune systems are moderately or severely compromised should not be required to show additional paperwork or proof and should be administered a third dose by providers.” If you qualify for a third dose, you can call your medical provider, a participating pharmacy, or OCHD to arrange for the third dose. For scheduling with OCHD, see item c. below.
b. Pfizer Vaccine Full FDA Approval: According to CDPHE, “… the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave full approval to Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine for eligible people aged 16 and up. While it’s the first to receive this designation, all available COVID-19 vaccines have been proven safe, effective, and authorized for emergency use. The state remains focused on vaccinating as many eligible Coloradans as possible.”
c. OCHD Vaccination Appointments: If you would like to make an appointment with OCHD for a COVID-19 vaccination (first, second, or third doses), please call Carolina Cortez at 719-468-8083.
d. 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).
e. 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
f. 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 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)
- School Webpages: Please visit these websites for any school-specific information and updates regarding COVID-19:
a. Cheraw: https://www.cheraw.k12.co.us/
b. Crowley County: http://www.cck12.net/
c. Fowler: http://www.fowler.k12.co.us/
d. La Junta: https://www.lajuntaschools.
e. Manzanola: https://www.manzanola.k12.co.
f. Otero College: https://www.ojc.edu/
g. Rocky Ford: https://www.rockyfordk12.org/
h. Swink: https://www.swinkk12.net/
- 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: 18
o Change from the last weekly update: None
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: 71
o Change from the last weekly update: One additional death
c. Crowley/Otero COVID-19 Related Hospitalization(s): Three 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/
- OCHD Public Health Recommendations
ü Recommend universal indoor masking for all students, staff, teachers, and visitors to K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status and at all levels of community transmission per current CDPHE recommendations (Practical Guide for Operationalizing CDC’s School Guidance | Colorado COVID-19 Updates)
a. At a minimum, OCHD strongly recommends unvaccinated/not fully vaccinated students and staff to wear a mask if they can medically tolerate it.
b. In addition to mask use reducing risk of transmission and exposure, unvaccinated students can also avoid quarantine following a typical classroom exposure if both the infected individual and the exposed student were correctly wearing masks (or participating in weekly screening testing).
ü Seriously consider getting fully vaccinated if you have not already done so.
ü If you are unvaccinated/not fully vaccinated, wear a mask when in public.
ü Wear an appropriate mask when required to do so, even if you are fully vaccinated.
ü Review and follow the prevention guidelines found here: Prevent the spread of COVID-19 | Colorado COVID-19 Updates
ü Perform a symptom check on yourself and your children before going out in public (i.e. work, school, the store, etc.)
a. COVID-19 symptoms: Do you have symptoms? | Colorado COVID-19 Updates
b. Stay home if you are sick and, if needed, call your medical provider.
c. Parents/guardians, do not send your kids to school if they are sick.
ü If you need to isolate (because you have tested positive and/or are symptomatic) or quarantine (because you have been exposed but are not symptomatic), here is the guidance: Isolation & quarantine | Colorado COVID-19 Updates
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
- Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) Guidance and Requirements
ü School Guidance: Practical Guide for Operationalizing CDC’s School Guidance | Colorado COVID-19 Updates
ü Sixth (6th) Amended Public Health Order (PHO) 20-38 regarding face coverings, school case reporting, hospital reporting, etc. can be found online here: (6th AMENDED PHO 20-38.83121.pdf - Google Drive)
ü Residential Care Facility (RCF) Comprehensive Mitigation Guidance can be found here: RCF Comprehensive Mitigation Guidance.pdf - Google Drive)
ü Colorado State Board of Health hospital and health care facilities COVID-19 vaccination requirements can be found online here: 6 CCR 1011-1, Chapter 2 - Emergency Rulemaking Adopted Rules.pdf - Google Drive and here: The Health Facilities Community Blog: Board of Health approves vaccine requirement for staff at health care facilities and hospitals
- Federal Public Transportation Mask Requirement: Masking on school buses and other public transportation is required by Federal Order (Order: Wearing of face masks while on conveyances and at transportation hubs | Quarantine | CDC)
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)
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