Many of our Daily Post readers have no doubt been monitoring the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment ‘COVID Dial’ dashboard and have noted the maps displayed on that CDPHE website. Here in Colorado, each county is required to follow a particular level of social and business restrictions, based on the progress of the COVID pandemic within that county’s boundaries.
Here’s how the ‘Overall County Status’ map looked at the end of last week:
In the version displayed this morning, November 18, the “Level Green” and “Level Blue” — the levels indicating the least amount of social restrictions — have nearly disappeared. More than half of the state’s counties are currently in “Level Orange” — the most socially-restrictive level other than “Level Red”:
We can see where things are headed. From a press release sent out by Governor Jared Polis’ office yesterday:
Today, Governor Polis was joined by Denver Mayor Michael Hancock, Senate President Leroy Garcia, and Speaker-designate Alec Garnett, to provide an update on the state and local response to the spike in COVID-19 positivity rates, cases, and hospitalizations.
Over the last few weeks, we’ve been sounding the alarm on the trends observed here in Colorado.
Rising case numbers, record hospitalizations and increasing positivity rates all indicate that there is more coronavirus in our communities now than there was in the spring. Last week, over the span of three days, we went from reporting:
3,500 cases in one day; to
5,100 cases in one day; to
6,400 cases in just one day.
This isn’t just a problem in someone else’s community. It’s right here in our own backyard:
Adams County: 1 out of every 58 people are infected.
Denver County: 1 out of every 64 are infected.
Arapahoe County: 1 out of every 83 people are infected.
Additionally:
- Hospitalizations are increasing: We now have over 1,300 patients hospitalized for COVID-19 — more than we’ve ever had in the state.
- Hospitals are suffering a strain: 86% of ICU beds are full.
- Hospitals are preparing for surge capacity: We know that Parkview Hospital in Pueblo reached more than 100% of capacity yesterday, with more than 100 COVID patients admitted. Multiple patients had to be transferred to other facilities.
- Staffing shortages: Today, more than 27 hospitals are reporting staffing shortages because of staff members sick with COVID.
Extraordinary times call for extraordinary actions, and in Colorado, we help our own…
More about that “help” in a moment.
CDPHE announced yesterday that, in response to the growing number of infections, the state has added an additional level of restrictions. Where the most restrictive level was previously “Level Red”, we’re now looking at restrictions that would ultimately be imposed by a new dial level:
“Level Purple”.
From a CPDHE press release:
The new dial levels, effective November 20, are:
- Level Green – Protect Our Neighbors: for counties that are able to locally contain surges. Most businesses are open with generous capacity limits.
- Level Blue – Caution: for counties with low transmission levels that aren’t quite ready for Protect Our Neighbors. Capacity limits are more permissive than yellow.
- Level Yellow – Concern: the baseline level for counties with elevated transmission levels but stable hospitalizations.
- Level Orange – High Risk: for counties where numbers are going up but not to the point where everything needs to be shut down. The capacity limits are moderate.
- Level Red – Severe Risk: for counties with high levels of transmission, hospitalizations, and positivity rates. Most indoor activities are prohibited or strictly limited, and outdoor activities are encouraged as an alternative. The capacity limits are significant.
- Level Purple – Extreme Risk: for counties where hospital capacity is at extreme risk of being overrun. At this level, all businesses must significantly curtail in person functions and people must stay at home except for necessary activities.
According to San Juan Basin Public Health, the agency responsible for addressing contagious diseases in Archuleta and La Plata counties, the “Levels” are going to be further adjusted locally — to become more restrictive — prior to Thanksgiving. This Friday, November 20, La Plata County will be moved into “Level Red” and Archuleta County will move into “Level Orange.”
- Indoor dining is temporarily closed. Restaurants and coffee shops can still offer take out and delivery, and they can offer outdoor dining with a last call at 8 p.m., but only to customers in groups with members of their own household. Bars remain closed.
- Gyms can operate at 10% capacity or allow up to 10 people per room with reservations. They can also operate outdoors in groups of up to 10 people.
- In-person personal gatherings are not permitted.
- All gatherings between households of any size in any location, public or private should not be taking place while your county is in the severe risk phase.
- All at-risk populations are recommended to stay at home.
So much for restrictions. How about the “help” part of it? From yesterday’s press release from Governor Polis:
In the spring, many Coloradans were buoyed by the support of one-time payments or unemployment benefits from the federal government. This federal safety net is not there today.
That’s why a few weeks ago, Governor Polis took action in consultation with legislative leadership to provide a direct one-time $375 cash payment to over 435,000 Coloradans who have faced unemployment during the pandemic.
Governor Polis announced that he will be calling the legislature into a special session in the near future to provide immediate relief to the economic and financial hardships that many Coloradans are facing and could continue to face in the winter months.
The legislative work during the special session will reportedly include the following themes:
- A small business relief package for those businesses that have been most impacted by capacity limits, including bars and restaurants, with direct aid and tax relief, in order to assist them in surviving the winter months
- Housing and rental assistance for those struggling to make ends meet
- Support for child care providers to help them open and stay open to ensure parents can get back to work
- Expanding broadband access to students and educators to ensure students can learn online during periods of remote learning
- Support for Colorado food pantries and banks.
A letter will also be sent to the federal government, says the press release, urging Washington D.C. to pass another critical stimulus package to provide robust state and local relief to Coloradans.
The Governor thanked Senate President Leroy Garcia, and Speaker-designate Alec Garnett, as well as other members of the leadership, and the Joint Budget Committee for their partnership, and commitment to delivering relief now.