COVID Cases Climb to 79 in Prowers County

Barbara Crimond | Aug 26, 2020 | Comments 0

COVID WEEKLY UPDATE

Prowers County Public Health and Environment

August 26, 2020

OUTBREAKS: Total Current Outbreaks: 2

Prowers County Fair, 5 cases linked. Testing offered to possibly exposed community members.

Eagles, 5 cases, closed for cleaning, members and employees linked (4 Prowers, 1 Bent)

Resolved: #1. McDonalds Lamar, 11 cases associated, no customers linked. #2. Sonic, 4 cases, no customers linked.

The Two Week Cumulative Incidence Rate is ‘Very High’ as Prowers County has had 197.99 cases per 100,000 people, or 24 total NEW cases, in the past two weeks. The Two Week Average Positivity rate is ‘High’ as Prowers County has an average positivity rate over the past two weeks of 11%.

The county demographic breakdown shows there are nine cases each for several age groups, under 10, 20-29, 30-39, 50-59 and 60-69 years of age. Eleven cases are in the 10-19 age group, fourteen in the 40-49 age group and four for 70-79 and five for eighty and up. Five hospitalizations have been registered with zero deaths.

Colorado now has 55,800 cases with 6,894 hospitalized and 678,335 tests have been performed. Deaths due to COVID, statewide are 1,926. Sixty-three counties have had cases noted with the exception of Kiowa County which is still COVID free. Otero County has 81 cases, Prowers with 79, Kit Carson at 74, Crowley at 73, Bent County with 15 and Bent County with 14 cases.

NEWS

• We are in Safer at Home and in the Vast, Great Outdoors. We do not currently qualify for Protect Our Neighbors. More information about this, school outbreak and case management can be found at https://covid19.colorado.gov/.

• Lamar RE2 bus service will resume 8/31/2020. It was cancelled due to a positive test in a bus driver.

• Lamar Middle School 6th graders are online through 08/26/2020 due to the quarantine of a cohort.

• Some Melvin Hendrickson Developmental Center (MHDC) students have been quarantined due to sick staff person. We notify all those who need to quarantine.

• There continues to be a Mask Mandate for those over the age of 10 in all indoor spaces other than home.

• If you are tested STAY HOME! Isolation and quarantine guidance can be found here:

https://covid19.colorado.gov/covid-19-in-colorado/about-covid-19/isolation-and-quarantine

• Stay home if not feeling well, cover coughs and sneezes, wash hands frequently or use 60+% alcohol-based hand sanitizer, wear a mask/face covering to contain any respiratory droplets and stay at least 6 feet from others.

• If you think you may have COVID-19 and are interested in testing, call your healthcare provider. If you are having severe symptoms such as significant trouble breathing, etc.

Call 911

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

• Why don’t all the siblings have to stay home if a cohort is quarantined? See the many scenarios here: https://covid19.colorado.gov/cases-and-outbreaks-child-care-schools#tools.

• What is a close contact? Having close contact (generally less than 6 feet for at least 15 minutes, depending on the exposure) with a person with COVID-19 from two days before their symptom onset (or positive COVID-19 test) until they meet criteria to discontinue isolation. Depending on the types of person-to-person interactions, high-risk “close contact” exposures can occur in fewer than 15 minutes. Note, close contact isn’t necessarily 15 consecutive minutes. Someone who was close to a sick person multiple times may have been exposed and need to be quarantined.

• How long can it take to get sick after exposure to COVID-19? 2-14 days

• What should one do if they cannot find what they are looking for on the state website? Please call us and we will assist you. Call PCPHE with any questions at 336-8721

Filed Under: County • Environment • Featured • Health • Media Release • Public Safety