Pam Boyd/[email protected]
Eagle County is officially concerned about the current level of COVID-19 risk in the community.
This week, the county dashboard chart reflects that change, moving from the “cautious” level to the “concerned” level. With that change, residents are urged to stay home whenever possible, except to access essential services. The county also urges everyone to minimize contact with people outside their home.
“I don’t think this is a surprise to anyone,” said Birch Barron, Eagle County Director of Emergency Management, during his weekly update to the Eagle County Board of Commissioners. He noted that over the past two weeks, the number of new cases of COVID-19 in the community has increased, reflecting the global spread of the pandemic.
“This is a national environment that we are in. We are experiencing, kind of like up front as we did in March and April, something that is part of a broader trend,” Barron said.
Delayed tests, serious illness
Now it is taking much longer to retrieve the COVID-19 test results, not just in Eagle County but in locations across the United States. That lag time is causing failures in other aspects of the COVID-19 response system. Barron noted that it is difficult to contact to track the disease when someone’s positive test results do not return for 10 to 14 days, especially since that same individual may have been infected a week or more before being tested.
The county’s five-day chart of confirmed cases is also affected, he said. Right now, the chart shows a drop, from a high point of 73 new cases over a five-day period at the end of last week. As of Tuesday, Barron said the count was 46 new cases over a five-day period, but said the figure will adjust upward as test results become available.
“We hope to see a continuous and sustained increase,” Barron said, noting that there are currently pending results for more than 500 COVID-19 tests that have been performed in the community.
Barron also expects an increase in the local prevalence of severe cases of COVID-19. At this time, there are no COVID-19 hospitalizations at Vail Health Hospital and only one local resident hospitalized outside of the county.
“But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a serious illness here,” he said. Barron noted that there has not been a jurisdiction affected by COVID-19 that has not seen an increase in serious cases that matched an increase in case numbers. So even though EagleCounty generally has a healthier population than other areas of the country, Barron said the risk of serious local illness cannot be entirely eliminated.
“It is not advisable to make plans based on the idea that there will be no serious illness here,” Barron said.
State / local orders
Last week, Eagle County revised its COVID-19 public health order, and Colorado Governor Jared Polis instituted a mandatory face mask order.
Barron emphasized that the provision of private and social gathering is one of the most vital aspects of the new county order.
“We have asked that people come together in groups of no more than 10 people. That is really important,” he said. “That helps ensure that if your result is positive, you have put fewer people at risk.”
“What are some of the little differences that apply to us with the new state order,” asked Commissioner Matt Scherr during the Barron update.
There are two basic differences, Barron said. Eagle County had allowed people to go unmasked while exercising indoors at recreation centers or health clubs, provided they maintained a 6-foot social distance protocol. The state order has rejected that county provision.
Additionally, the new state order requires people waiting in line for public transportation to wear masks. While Eagle County has required the use of masks when traveling on buses, it previously did not have a mask regulation at bus stops.
For more information on the county public health order or to view the COVID-19 control panel, visit ecemergency.org.
COVID-19 Community Forum
Eagle County’s One Valley Voice will host “Community Conversation: A Collaborative Response to COVID-19” Thursday beginning at 2 pm The virtual forum will feature representatives from the business community, the medical community, the school district, the media of communication and local government.
Topics will include preparing for the school year and a successful 2020/21 winter season, and the actions that all companies, organizations and individuals need to get us there. Participants will discuss their efforts to balance public health concerns with community outreach, student needs, and economic activity in the coming months.
The panel will be facilitated by Eagle County Commissioner Jeanne McQueeney. Panelists will include:
- Nadia Guerriero, Director of Operations, Beaver Creek Resort
- Kristen Pryor, General Manager, The Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa
- Dr. Brooks Bock, Executive Director, Colorado Mountain Medical
- Phil Qualman, Superintendent, Eagle County Schools
- Julio Jiménez, reporter, Vail Daily
- Jeff Shroll, County Manager, Eagle County Government
The community conversation will be broadcast live on http://www.ecgtv.comand on Facebook.com/OneValleyVoiceand in Spanish at https://www.facebook.com/MiSaludMiCharco. The event will also air on Eagle County TV, which is located on Comcast Channel 18 in Eagle River Valley.
