Colorado COVID Surge Calls for ActionNovember 9, 2020 Quick Links to Stay Up to Date Topline Update The State currently has 134,537 cases, 2,408 total deaths (2,178 are due to COVID), and 10,050 hospitalizations out of 1,351,495 completed tests. Every death is a tragedy. There are families and friends mourning across our state today and we keep them in our thoughts. In terms of new cases, 14 of the last 14 days have had an upward trend in the 7-day moving average of newly reported cases. And in terms of hospitalizations, 11 of the last 14 days have had an upward trend in the 7-day moving average of new hospitalizations. This case data is broken down by various categories, is updated daily, and can be found here. A new feature on your phone notifies you if you may have been exposed to someone contagious with COVID-19. By opting in through your iPhone device settings or downloading the app onto your Android device you can better protect yourself and your family. If you have been exposed to COVID-19 or are experiencing symptoms, please get a free, quick, and easy test. Visitcovid19.colorado.gov/testing to find a testing site near you. Statewide Mask Order Extended Today, Governor Polis extended the statewide mask order for an additional 30 days, as mask wearing is a scientifically proven way to help slow the spread of the virus and help save lives. At every opportunity, the Governor's office implores Coloradans to wear their masks; this action is critical to saving our economic livelihoods and public health. Pfizer Vaccine Governor Polis today provided an update on Colorado’s COVID-19 response and provided an overview of vaccine development progress. Early data from Pfizer suggests the vaccines in-development could be 90% effective against COVID-19. This is very encouraging news, but we are not in the clear yet. Even when the vaccine is approved, there are many unknown variables, including:
Some doses may be available by the end of this year -- and more in 2021, but we do know that there will not be enough to cover the entire population of our state immediately. In the absence of a vaccine, we must utilize the tools available to us:
The Governor hopes that these vaccine developments will inspire Coloradans to double down on what we know works best. This virus is more prevalent than it’s ever been before in our state and nation. It can be difficult to harness the energy to continue doing your part by using the tools at our disposal outlined above, but we must buckle down and successfully reduce our social interactions. Alarming Trends Over these last few weeks, we have continued to see alarming COVID trends here in Colorado and across the country. Our case numbers are rising and we’ve surpassed spring hospitalization levels. There are more COVID infections circulating in our communities now than there were in the spring; more than 1 out of 100 people in Denver are contagious with COVID-19. Last week, the Governor encouraged Coloradans to do three important things:
Our COVID response is only as good as Coloradans’ ability to take personal responsibility. We now have the highest levels of COVID-19 we have ever had in Colorado. It’s time to step up to stop these trends. If we can save one life, it will be worth it. Local vs. Statewide Action With cases and hospitalizations on the rise, many Coloradans are wondering why the State of Colorado has not issued another Stay-At-Home order. Stay-At-Home is a last resort to prevent significant loss of life. There are some major differences between the tools we have now and the tools we had in March. Each community in Colorado is experiencing this pandemic differently. What’s happening in Denver County is much different than what’s happening in Jackson County. In March, a one-size fits all approach was the best option available to save lives and get a handle on the virus, but we now have the Dial Framework in place that allows us to work with each county and support them in addressing their specific needs. We have extraordinary leaders in our local governments who are making very difficult choices right now. The Governor today highlighted some recent examples of tough decisions that had to be made at the county-level
Better Statewide Tools to Help Fight COVID Governor Polis emphasized that progress has been made in prevention and treatment of the virus, and in October, the Governor submitted the Colorado's COVID-19 vaccine plan to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Leveraging public-private partnerships, the State has ramped up our testing capacity, PPE supplies, and hospital capacity across Colorado to improve our ability to respond to COVID-19. As a result, we are much better equipped to respond to this pandemic than we were in March. Testing Back in March, Colorado’s testing capability stood at 160 tests processed per day in the state lab. That’s why the Governor was proud to announce that theState Lab shattered their own record and performed more than 8,700 tests in one day! And capacity continues to grow -- currently, state labs and private partners are able to test a total of 38,000 Coloradans per day. The State of Colorado is also proud to announce a partnership with company Curative to increase testing in long-term care facilities and rural communities with testing kiosks, and will work with both Curative and Mako to launch testing vans: Testing Kiosks (Curative)
Testing Vans (Curative and Mako)
Including building up our rapid testing ability, we will use every tool we have to make a difference in finding positive cases and stopping transmission. As always, if you have any symptoms or think you may have been exposed, you can get a free, quick, and easy test. Find a testing site near you at covid19.colorado.gov/testing. PPE Supplies In the spring, Colorado was competing with other states and our own federal government to get the medical supplies to first responders and frontline medical staff. Over the last 10 months, in the absence of leadership from the federal government, we have forged relationships with companies and other governments in order to secure the PPE we need to effectively respond to this virus. In March, we had less than 300,000 N-95 masks and no KN-95 masks. Today we have:
The State has also entered into long-term contracts with major manufacturers to provide monthly deliveries of PPE to the state, and is proactively working with local public health partners to identify more ways to support our communities. Hospital Capacity In response to the trend of rising hospitalizations, the State is working closely with our hospital partners to rapidly scale it up. Here are some updates:
Increased Knowledge of the Virus We all know more about this virus right now than we did 10 months ago, and we are consistently working to update safety guidelines and restrictions around data and science:
The single biggest risk is not where you go, but who you go with. Unlike in March, now we all know how not to get the virus— you avoid interacting with people outside your household, you wear a mask while in the company of people outside your household especially indoors, and you wash your hands frequently. We just need to have the will and discipline to minimize our exposure risk. State Workforce Working Remotely Today, Governor Polis announced that state employees will be working remotely, at least through the end of November. This is in an effort to do our part to change the trajectory of this virus, and applies to state employees (with limited exceptions) in counties with orange or red levels of incidence. When the numbers were looking better statewide, the Colorado State Government was planning to return to in-person work at reduced levels in November. Due to our alarming trends, the Governor asks that our local governments and businesses in the private sector that have the ability, do everything they can to ensure that employees can work remotely, so we can sooner get back to business as usual while keeping everyone safe. State Boards & Commissions Openings We are continually looking for qualified candidates to serve on almost 320 boards and commissions that oversee a large variety of subjects and make a wide range of decisions affecting your day-to-day lives as Coloradans. These boards are a tremendous opportunity for Coloradans to help govern and give back to the great state of Colorado. You can find upcoming openings and immediate openings due to resignations below: Upcoming Openings:
Colorado COVID Surge Calls for Action Immediate Openings Due to Resignations:
To apply, fill out an application at this link. To see other Boards and Commissions openings for the rest of 2020 and part of 2021, you can visitthis link. If you have any questions about Boards and Commissions, please contact Nikky Patel, Deputy Director of Boards and Commissions at[email protected]. |