The city of Durango’s Utilities Department has reported an outbreak of COVID-19 after three staff members tested positive, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
CDPHE updates its weekly outbreak list every Wednesday. An outbreak is defined as two or more cases in a 14-day period. The Utilities Department outbreak was confirmed March 30.
Jarrod Biggs, assistant utilities director, said he believes the outbreak happened because some people in the department received a vaccination and became a little lax on health protocols around social distancing.
“That’s what I think the big culprit was,” he said. “We were so diligent for so long, and then we got a few people vaccinated, and they lightened up.”
Biggs said one of the three employees with a positive test was vaccinated.
“As with other situations, we are never certain of where or who carried the first case or if in fact transmission occurred at our location,” he said.
Tom Sluis, city spokesman, added even after the second dose a person is not fully immunized until 14 days later.
Biggs said a vaccinated employee may have contracted the virus and spread it to their non-vaccinated colleagues; a non-vaccinated employee may have contracted the virus and spread it to a non-vaccinated colleague, or a vaccinated colleague contracted it elsewhere and were simply associated by being employed with the city utilities department.
“(Or ) some combination of the preceding,” he said.
Regardless, losing three staff members “caused us a little bit of a pinch in terms of operations,” Biggs said. Namely, the staffing shortage limited the amount of special projects, like lift station maintenance or repairing fire hydrants.
“But we’ve been able to manage it in stride,” he said. “We put contractors on notice we might need a hand, and they were happy to oblige. But it looks like we were able to get through.”
Out of 18 staff members in the collections and distribution division, three staff members who work on pipelines throughout the city had to quarantine, Biggs said. The department has been working in teams to limit exposure to the overall staff.
Biggs said he hopes to be fully staffed next week.
“We’re hoping to get everyone back healthy,” he said.
The only other new outbreak reported this week was at Durango Plastering and Drywall, where an outbreak was confirmed March 30 after three employees tested positive.
Previously reported, but still active outbreaks, include: Bayfield High School, Durango Gymnastics, Durango High School, Lewis True Value Mercantile, Miller Shared School, Needham Elementary School, Park Elementary School and Walmart.
jromeo@durangoherald.com
