Montezuma County will remain at Level Orange on the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s COVID-19 Dial.
The county’s increasing rate of positive cases qualifies for the more restrictive Level Red category, county officials said. But after negotiations with CDPHE, Montezuma County will be allowed to stay at Orange, said county Health Director Bobbi Lock.
Level Orange allows for continued indoor dining at 25% occupancy, or up to 50 people if social distance rules can be met.
At Level Red, indoor dining would be prohibited at a time businesses are struggling to stay open, county officials said.
“Putting restrictions on businesses would be ineffective,” Lock stated. “The majority of businesses are doing the best they can to conform to Level Orange requirements. Most outbreaks result from employees’ activities outside of their workplace, not necessarily from their work environment.”
Levels are determined by the degree of COVID-19 spread, defined by two-week cumulative incidence and two-week average positivity and by decreasing or stable hospitalizations.
Montezuma County’s two-week cumulative incidence of 1,021 cases per 100,000 population, is in Level Red. Its two-week average positivity rate of 12.1% is in Level Orange, and the hospitalizations are in Level Yellow, which means at least one day with one to two new hospitalizations in the past two weeks.
Because the two-week cumulative incidence has been in Level Red for more than two weeks, the CDPHE could bump the county to the more restrictive level until cases declined.
However, counties can engage in a consultation process with CDPHE to avoid being moved into a more restrictive category. Montezuma County successfully argued to remain at Level Orange for now.
As of Dec. 9, Montezuma County has had 901 positive cases since the pandemic began in March, an 18% increase from Dec. 2. Currently, there are 581 active cases, and 311 recoveries.
Negative tests to date are 9,671. Six people have died from COVID-19, and three others have died with COVID-19, although it was not the cause of death.
County health department physician Dr. Kent Aikin added that a continuous effort is needed by county residences and businesses to keep Montezuma County from moving to the Level Red category.
“We can be moved to Red at any time if people don’t adhere to public health prevention measures,” Aikin said. “Wearing a face covering, avoiding large gatherings of people or group situations, and keeping 6 feet distance from others are the best preventative measures for contracting COVID-19.”
Montezuma County Public Health has chosen to adopt the Center for Disease Control’s new option of a 10-day quarantine period, officials said.
While a quarantine period of 14 days is still the gold standard, quarantine cases with no symptoms may end their quarantine after a full 10 days. A test is not required after the 10 days.
Cases must still monitor their symptoms for a full 14 days after exposure. People with symptoms are encouraged to stay home and begin the isolation process. You can choose to get a COVID-19 test if you become symptomatic. If the results are positive, you will be contacted by the health department.
As a result of the ongoing community spread and continuing increase in positive cases in Montezuma County, health officials have determined that contact tracing is no longer effective.
While MCPHD will continue with investigation of positive COVID-19 cases, it is now asking those cases to inform their close contacts who might have been exposed to COVID-19. Those who have been exposed should begin quarantine, and monitor themselves for symptoms.
COVID-19 testing is available every Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the north side of the Southwest Memorial Hospital campus. No appointment is necessary. There will be no testing on Dec. 23 or 30. Identification, such as a driver’s license is needed.
jmimiaga@the-journal.com