Larimer County’s coronavirus numbers remain low, though the county is seeing an increase in young people with the virus and in the spread through large gatherings.
Public Health Director Tom Gonzales briefed the Larimer County commissioners on Tuesday about what the county is seeing, from discussions about school this fall to the number of patients hospitalized.
Information from his presentation and from the health department website follows.
Gatherings: Health department officials strive to have names and phone numbers for all people before approving a variance to have more than 10 people gather, to make it easier to trace who was there if someone tests positive for the coronavirus.
“It’s not Big Brother,” Gonzales said, explaining that the information is used for contact tracing. He spoke of two recent gatherings, a funeral with more than 100 people and a large birthday party, where one person at each later tested positive for the virus, resulting in health officials trying to reach everyone at both gatherings for testing and, if there was close contact, to ask them to quarantine.
Numbers:
- Age. During most of the pandemic, the average age of Larimer County residents who tested positive was 52. It is now below 28 years old, indicating a spread among younger people, who could be spreading the virus without knowing it, Gonzales said.
- July 2-6. Larimer County had 60 new cases, 47 confirmed and 13 suspect. All 47 were given isolation orders, and from their contacts, health officials called 75 additional people to talk about testing and possible self-quarantines. As of Monday, 58 people countywide were in isolation.
- Totals. The Larimer County Department of Health website lists a total of 794 positive cases on Tuesday, up eight from Monday including three Loveland residents who tested positive. Another 284 are suspect cases, meaning they tested positive via an antibody test but never showed symptoms. As of Tuesday, there were 11 people being treated for the virus in Larimer County hospitals, 9.5% of the county’s residents had been tested with a positive rate of 3.5%, and the death of an 83-year-old Loveland man was added to the county list on Tuesday, bringing to 30 the number of people who have died from the virus. Eighteen of the 30 people who have died were Loveland residents.
Remain vigilant: Gonzales said health officials are seeing signs that people are relaxing their efforts on social distancing and reminded people that these measures, as well as face coverings and extra cleaning, need to continue for the county to maintain low numbers, avoid a surge in cases and continue to have businesses and services open. “The 1918 pandemic lasted 18 months, so we’re not even halfway through if this lasts,” Gonzales said. “We’ve got a way to go.”
Schools: The Health Department is working with all three Larimer County school districts, including the Thompson School District in Loveland and Berthoud, to create innovative plans that will allow “100% in-person education for students.”
While having students in school full time is the goal, if the conditions change, so could the model for schools, Gonzales said, noting that districts also are planning for what to do if they need to close a school or classroom due to a positive test result.
“What we are looking at is ways to cohort the students and using face coverings, not all the time but when there might be more exposure, and more cleaning and sanitizing,” Gonzales said.
Still, 5% to 10% of parents have indicated they do not feel safe sending their children to school, so districts also will provide an online option, Gonzales said.
County health officials also are waiting for final guidance from the state over whether there will be statewide mandates or if how schools operate will be up to local health departments.
“I’m hoping for local control,” said Gonzales.
Meanwhile, Colorado State University and its pandemic team are working closely with the county Health Department on how to handle students returning from other states and countries.
Their efforts, Gonzales said, include extensive contact tracing; symptom checks for faculty; weekly tests of student athletes, none of whom has tested positive so far; classes in larger venues; and a hybrid approach of in-person and online classes.
Neighbors: Commissioner Tom Donnelly pointed out that Larimer County is sitting at over 700 cases, while Boulder County has had twice as many cases (1,463) and Weld County has had about four times as many cases (2,886).
“They’re both smaller, and we have had a fourth and half of the cases,” Donnelly said, lauding the Health Department and its partners and residents for staying safe and keeping the spread of the virus low. “That’s pretty cool, right?”
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July 08, 2020 at 05:30AM
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Larimer County coronavirus numbers low, but health officials warn not to stop social distancing - Loveland Reporter-Herald
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