As of Sunday afternoon, Colorado reported the statewide total of COVID-19 cases was 131. The Colorado Department of Health and Environment announced 30 new cases.
Colorado on Friday announced its first death from the new coronavirus, about a week after the state’s first case was confirmed and as the outbreak has quickly spread from Aspen to Colorado Springs and Centennial to Fort Collins.
The person who died was a woman in her 80s with underlying health conditions. She lived in El Paso County.
There were no confirmed cases or presumptive positive cases in Southwest Colorado, including La Plata, Montezuma, Archuleta, Dolores and San Juan counties. New Mexico declared a state of emergency after announcing that three state residents had tested positive for the virus.
Here’s the latest:
The health department also said it no longer needed to send positive cases for re-testing at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention because its test perform is identical to the CDPHE testing.
Therefore, all reported positive cases are confirmed.
New cases on Sunday, by county of residence:
Adams: 6
Arapahoe: 3
Boulder: 3
Denver: 4
Douglas: 4
Eagle: 4
El Paso: 1
Garfield: 1
Gunnison: 2
Jefferson: 5
Weld: 2
Unknown: 1
Interim City Manager Amber Blake has been meeting with public health officials and other partnering agencies to determine the best course of action for the city.
The city manager is expected to offer recommendations to City Council, including potential closures of city facilities and contingency plans. The meeting is open to the public.
Durango Bach Festival Finale, which was scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday is postponed, with a future date to be determined. For more information, visit www.durangobachfestival.com.The Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College has suspended all shows through April 8. This includes scheduled performances by: Yarn (March 15), An Evening with Suzy Bogguss (Mar. 18), Yamato – The Drummers of Japan (Mar. 25), The Del McCoury Band (April 1) and The High Kings (April 8), as well as The Met Live in HD, originally set to be screened in the Vallecito Room at the college this Saturday. At this time, patrons having purchased tickets to any of the postponed shows can obtain refunds or hold the tickets for future rescheduling of the shows. Tickets currently held by Concert Hall patrons for the postponed shows will be honored. Current ticket holders do not need to seek replacement tickets. Those seeking refunds for the postponed shows are asked to call the Ticket Office, at 247.7657 or email concerthall@fortlewis.edu to make arrangements, as well as for further information. Refunds are not available through the Concert Hall website.Be Frank: All before and after school Be Frank Orchestra Programs are suspended until further notice. Students are encouraged to take their instruments home so they can practice and engage with the music literature at home. Instructors plan to reach out with resources for students to work on at home. This is a preventive measure and out of an abundance of caution on the part of school officials and not because of confirmed cases of Covid-19 in schools.
Presumptive positive cases by county of residence
Adams: 3
Arapahoe County: 7
Denver County: 13
Douglas County: 3
Eagle County: 14
El Paso County: 2
Gunnison County: 3
Jefferson County: 6
Larimer County: 1
Pitkin County: 1
Pueblo: 1
Summit County: 2
Weld: 2
Out of state visitors - 14 (Currently located in these counties:)
Pitkin - 9
Eagle - 2
Routt - 1
Waiting on information - 2
An increase in testing for the new coronavirus shows there has been community spread of the disease in different areas of the state.
Any gathering of over 250 people should be canceled, the governor said. That is “unless they can successfully ensure the distance of 6 feet between parties.”
Several counties had already begun to limit gatherings on their own, including Pitkin and Eagle, which have been among the state’s hardest hit by the outbreak.
Courtesy of The Colorado Sun
7 p.m. Thursday, March 12 – High school sports are on hold. State basketball tournaments will continue, for now.
The Colorado High School Activities Association announced Thursday afternoon that all spring sports and activities will be suspended until at least April 6 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Teams with games scheduled for Thursday, such as Durango High School baseball, could play those games if the school district allowed.
That suspension of activities included all games and practices in an effort to limit the spread of the new coronavirus. It is possible the suspension of spring activities will last longer than April 6, and it is possible springs activities will be canceled completely.
“The situation will be monitored and evaluated with key decision-makers from around the state to determine when, or if, to resume the spring season,” read a CHSAANow.com news release.
Still, the state basketball tournaments have continued Thursday. Ignacio High School’s boys and girls are scheduled to play in Class 2A state quarterfinal games this evening. Wednesday night, CHSAA announced the games would be closed to all non-essential game personnel. Hours later, CHSAA backtracked and said it would allow all players to invite four family members or guests. CHSAA would waive the cost of tickets. Those who had purchased tickets in advance would receive a refund.
The ski resort north of Durango released a statement Thursday afternoon stating it would remain open through the planned closing day, weather permitting. It is bracing for a busy spring break season with snow in the forecast in a time in which health officials are urging people to avoid areas with big groups to help limit the spread of the new coronavirus.
“Purgatory Resort has been actively supporting La Plata County’s planning, community monitoring and response efforts of COVID-19,” Purgatory Resort stated in a news release. “The health and safety of our guests and employees remain our central focus, and we appreciate the resource we have in the Incident Management Team. This group, spearheaded by San Juan Basin Public Health and their activation provides the best opportunity for minimizing the impacts of COVID-19 exposure in our community. The resort staff is working side-by-side with public health experts, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and will continue to do so until there is no longer a public health concern.”
Trump made the announcement in an Oval Office address to the nation, blaming the European Union for not acting quickly enough to address the novel coronavirus and saying U.S. clusters were “seeded” by European travelers.
Trump said he was also directing agencies to provide unspecified financial relief “for workers who are ill, quarantined or caring for others due to coronavirus,” and asked Congress to take action to extend it.
Trump said the U.S. will defer tax payments for some individual and business filers for three months to lessen the impacts of the virus outbreak. He said the Small Business Administration will also make low-interest loans available to businesses to help them weather the storm.
“This is not a financial crisis,” he said. “This just a temporary moment of time that we will overcome together as a nation and as a world.”
“Fort Lewis College is actively monitoring the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) in Colorado and taking proactive measures to ensure the health and well-being of each member of our community in accordance with the guidance provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,” FLC wrote on the homepage of its website late Wednesday afternoon.
The notice said classes would convene as scheduled Thursday and Friday. Students then go on spring break, and classes for the two days after spring break, March 23-24, will be canceled. From March 25 through April 6, classes will be held online only.
In a news conference, Lujan Grisham recommended that large public events be postponed to contain the spread of the virus. “We are not panicked. We are prepared,” she said.
Two of the state’s first cases are a husband and wife, both in their 60s, from Socorro County. Both recently returned from Egypt and are at home in isolation.
The third is a woman in her 70s from Bernalillo County who recently traveled to the New York City area. She is also at home in isolation, according to the department.
There have been zero confirmed cases in San Juan County.
Pitkin County reported six new presumptive positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the county’s total to nine, according to news release from Pitkin County officials.
The new cases are in Pitkin, Eagle, Gunnison, Denver, Jefferson and Arapahoe counties.
Based on these test results, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment suspects Colorado is seeing limited community spread, when there are cases and outbreaks in certain communities but the source is unidentifiable.
Arapahoe County: 3Denver County: 6, plus one indeterminate caseDouglas County: 3Eagle County: 4El Paso County: 1Gunnison County: 2Jefferson: 3Larimer County: 1Pitkin County: 9, updated from three cases at 3 p.m.Summit County: 1
Community members can find fast facts about COVID-19 here and the three health criteria that lead to testing here. Call CO HELP at 1-877-462-2911 with questions or concerns.
Colorado plans to offer financial support options for those who need to miss work to get tested. For example, the Department of Labor and Employment is engaged in emergency rulemaking to ensure employees in food handling, hospitality, childcare, health care and education get paid sick leave while awaiting testing results.
The state lab has run tests on about 300 people since February 28.
The Durango School District 9-R strongly discourages students and families from participating in out-of-state travel to Colorado High School Activities Association events.
The district has not canceled travel plans for students or staff, including CHSAA events, but families and students can opt out of participation. It reserves the right to cancel trips based on local health authority directions.
The district continues to monitor its plans for students and families returning to schools after spring break, and it will communicate return plans to community members. It reserves the right not to admit students and staff back to school based on risk and potential exposure.
Durango 9-R has enhanced its sanitation practices, especially high-touch surfaces and other areas within schools, buses and facilities. Teachers, parents and guardians do not need to purchase cleaning supplies for schools.
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said Wednesday that three people have tested positive for COVID-19 in the state’s first known cases of infection. Grisham said in a statement that a husband and wife in their 60s at Socorro County in central New Mexico tested positive, along with a woman in her 70s in the Albuquerque area.
The state Health Department plans to deploy public health nurses this week to assisted care facilities for the elderly to look for evidence of the new coronavirus and ensure adequate precautions.
There were no confirmed cases or presumptive positive cases in the five-county region of Southwest Colorado, including La Plata, Montezuma, Archuleta, Dolores and San Juan.
Most people dying of COVID-19 are older, and local long-term care facilities are taking precautions to keep at-risk residents healthy and safe.
More than 17% of people living in La Plata County – almost 10,000 individuals – are age 60 or older, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identified older individuals at a higher risk of serious illness caused by a recent outbreak of a coronavirus worldwide.
And long-term care facilities around the county have taken notice.
Several grocery stores in Durango are running low on supplies, including hand sanitizer and toilet paper. Shelves usually stocked with toilet paper and paper towels sat empty about 8 p.m. Monday in south City Market. Zachary Bramble, who took this photo, said he wanted to buy a travel-size bottle of hand sanitizer, but the store was cleared out of it, presumably because people are stockpiling in preparation for a possible outbreak of the coronavirus COVID-19 in Durango.
Gov. Jared Polis declared a state of emergency for the state of Colorado. The declaration gives Colorado access to resources and legal flexibility to take steps to limit the spread of COVID-19 and protect vulnerable populations.
The state announced new presumptive positive cases of COVID-19 Wednesday, including three in Aspen, bringing the total to 20.
Arapahoe County: 1Denver County: 4Douglas County: 3Eagle County: 4El Paso County: 1Gunnison County: 1Larimer County: 1Pitkin County: 4Summit County: 1Community members can find fast facts about COVID-19 here and the three health criteria that lead to testing here.
The state plans financial support options for those who need to miss work to get tested. For example, the Department of Labor and Employment is engaged in emergency rulemaking to ensure employees in food handling, hospitality, childcare, health care and education get paid sick leave while awaiting testing results.
Fort Lewis College President Tom Stritikus said the college is “considering all options to keep our community safe and healthy.”
“This is a dynamic situation that FLC is closely monitoring,” Stritikus said. “We’re working with state and local health officials and sharing their information with campus, asking that everyone be vigilant in washing hands, staying home when sick, and practicing social distancing at this time.”
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment identified a new presumptive positive case of COVID-19, bringing to four the total number of presumptive positive cases on Monday, and 12 total cases in Colorado. The new case involved an Arapahoe County woman in her 30s.
No cases of COVID-19 were reported Monday in La Plata or Archuleta counties, according to San Juan Basin Public Health. But the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment announced two presumptive positive case, bringing the state total to 11.
The state’s 11 positive cases are considered presumptive but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides official confirmation. Classifying the cases as presumptive positive allows a faster public health response, according to CDPHE officials. The state’s health department will continue announcing test results twice daily.
New Mexico had zero confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of Monday afternoon. The New Mexico Department of Health’s Scientific Laboratory division had completed 57 tests and increased its capacity to test for the virus.
9Health announced Monday it has postponed its spring 9Health Fairs across the state as a proactive measure amid the “growing public interest” in coronavirus COVID-19.
The Health Fair events will be postponed to a later date in 2020, according to a news release issued by 9News and 9Health.
The events offer affordable and convenient health screenings, prevention tips and educational programs throughout Colorado. Free screenings include blood pressure, body mass index, hearing and more.
At least three screening events were held last year in La Plata County.
On Monday, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis asked the Colorado Division of Insurance to offer guidance and direction to health insurance related to COVID-19 insurance claims. Polis’ Bulletin B-4.104 directs Colorado health insurance carriers regulated by the Colorado Division of Insurance to remove cost sharing on specific services related to COVID-19.
“Our administration is taking swift action to ensure Coloradans can get tested for COVID-19 without financial fear. We are all in this together, and we must continue working together to protect our health and safety,” Polis said in a news release. “This important step will help ensure cost barriers do not stand in the way of people getting tested. The earlier that we can diagnose and isolate those testing positive for COVID-19, the better we can prevent it from spreading.”
The New Mexico Department of Health’s Bureau of Health and Emergency Management announced it would activate its operation center at a Level 3 starting Monday. It typically operates at a Level 4, standard operations. The increased communication capacity allows additional support of ongoing pandemic-readiness activities related to COVID-19, according to the department’s news release.
“Level 3 is a slightly higher alert status and will ensure smooth logistics for activities being performed in anticipation of a possible outbreak,” the department said.
San Juan Regional Medical Center in Farmington held a drill as part of its emergency preparedness plan Thursday in the event of a potential surge of patients showing up to the hospital with a flu-like illness.
“By planning and practicing with drills and exercises, we will be better prepared to serve our patients as our region’s community-owned and -operated hospital,” Dr. Brad Breenberg, medical director of emergency preparedness with the hospital, said in a Facebook post.
The hospital also announced last week it created a hotline for 24/7 information and updates about COVID-19. Currently, the hotline has a recorded message with information about the virus and prevention tip. The hotline will be updated regularly.
“We are partnering with key community stakeholders, including city and county officials, local school districts, law enforcement and fire departments, to coordinate our response in order to best care for our community,” hospital officials said in a news release.
People with questions can call (505) 516-0938 or (888) 949-5387.
Centers for Disease Control and PreventionColorado Department of Public Health and EnvironmentSan Juan Basin Public HealthMercy Regional Medical Center – Centura HealthNew Mexico Department of HealthSan Juan Regional Medical Center
