The Montezuma County Public Health Department on Friday announced two new positive cases of COVID-19, including one resulting in death.

The county has reported 12 positive cases, including two fatalities, since March 28.

Because of privacy laws, no personal information about the cases will be released, said Vicki Shafer, county public information officer. That includes their age, place of residence or whether they were hospitalized, Shafer said.

The first death in Montezuma County was reported April 2.

The county health department is gathering information about who might have had contact with the patients, according to protocols from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, she said.

County Health Department Director Bobbi Lock described the contact-tracing process, which is conducted for any communicable disease, as a “tiered” system.

“People who have had close interaction – close contact within 6-foot, 10 minutes or more, with that case – are those that we are contact tracing,” Lock said.

The first tier is family, friends and co-workers of the infected person.

The health department has conducted contact tracing for all positive cases in Montezuma County, Lock said.

“From there, depending on whether they are symptomatic or not, they are given isolation or quarantine instructions,” she said.

All first-tier contacts have been asked to be tested, she said.

“And then we go further out, the more results we get, the more symptoms we get,” Lock said. “The tiers grow.”

Montezuma County residents should assume the novel coronavirus is present and will spread further if people do not adhere stay-at-home orders, a county news release said.

“Carefully consider what essential travel means and limit time away from your home,” the news release said.

COVID-19 is easily transmitted by droplets emitted from an infected person that are breathed in and infect the lung tissue. The virus can survive on surfaces for up to three days.

“Humans across the world have no defense against it,” said Marc Meyer, an infectious control specialist with Southwest Health System in Cortez. “We have never been exposed to it.”

Researchers are trying to determine whether humans who recover from the disease develop immunity to it.

Southwest Memorial Hospital has operated a drive-thru clinic since March 18 to screen for flu and take samples for potential coronavirus cases. Suspected samples are sent to the Colorado Department of Health and Environment for processing. Results can take up to a week.

The hospital does not yet have equipment to process the suspected COVID-19 specimens, but it is seeking to buy the equipment, which would allow in-house testing and produce results in two to four hours.

San Juan Basin Public Health announced Wednesday that Cedar Diagnostics, a private lab, would begin testing for the coronavirus Friday at Cedar offices in Cortez, Durango and Pagosa Springs. Testing is planned from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Appointments are required.

The test is $75, according to SJBPH. For people with insurance and a doctor’s order, Cedar will bill insurance companies. Patients also may qualify for reduced payments.

Southwest Health System again urged residents to practice social distancing and comply with the state stay-at-home order.

“Those experiencing symptoms such as fever, cough and shortness of breath should isolate at home, assume they have the virus and treat their symptoms,” Southwest Health said.

Residents can call Southwest Health’s COVID-19 information line at 564-2201.

In Colorado, there have been 6,510 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 250 deaths. La Plata County has reported has 44 positive cases; Montezuma County, 12; and Archuleta, six. Dolores County has not reported a positive case. San Juan County, New Mexico, has reported 142 positive cases.

Journal reporter Erika Alvero and Durango Herald reporter Jonathan Romeo, contributed to this story.