Moffat County asks Colorado for permission to move to Level Green: Protect Our Neighbors
Letter comes less than two weeks after Moffat County was moved to Level Blue in new Dial 2.0
Moffat County is requesting a move to the less-restrictive Level Green: Protect Our Neighbors in the COVID-19 dial from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
Commissioners and Board of Public Health members Donald Broom, Melody Villard and Tony Bohrer — with the support of Craig Mayor Jarrod Ogden, Public Health Director Kari Ladrow, Sheriff KC Hume, Public Health Medical Officer Allen Reishus, and Memorial Regional Health CEO Andy Daniels — approved a letter to CDPHE requesting the move to Level Green Wednesday during a special Board of Public Health meeting.
To move into Level Green, Moffat County needs to meet all eight Protect Our Neighbor metrics. The metrics include: sufficient hospital bed capacity; sufficient PPE supply; stable or declining COVID-19 hospitalizations; sufficient testing capacities; fewer new cases; ability to implement case investigation and contact tracing protocols; documented surge-capacity plan for case investigation and contact tracing; documented strategies to offer testing to close contacts.
Currently, Moffat County meets all eight metrics. The COVID-19 wing at Memorial Regional Health does not have anyone admitted, while cases throughout the county have dropped significantly since the start of the new year.
As of Thursday, Feb. 25, Moffat County has just five active COVID-19 cases, and has 779 total, marking an increase of just six cases since Friday, Feb. 19.
In the letter to CDPHE, Moffat County’s Board of Public Health cited declining numbers in the community as the main reason why they felt it was time to pursue Level Green.
“Per the CO Department of Public Health & Environment dashboard, Moffat County currently has fewer than eight cases per 100,00- and a 2.2% positivity rate; plus, 2,050 of our residents have been vaccinated thus far,” the letter states.
“It is the belief of the Moffat County team signing that the socio-economic impacts of the pandemic have created significant burden on community members and secondary harm to the residents is occurring through a decreased participation in routine medical care, depression associated with the pandemic, nutritional deficits caused by economic downturn, childhood adversity and other detrimental impacts on the social determinants of health which outweigh the current risk of COVID-19 within our community.”
A potential move into Level Green by Moffat County would mark the first county in Colorado to move into the dial level under the new guidelines.
In Level Green, bars would reopen at 50% capacity, while personal gathering sizes would be left up to local guidance. Capacity sizes across the board would increase to 50%, or 500 people depending on the space and the location, according to the COVID-19 dial.
Commissioners unanimously approved the letter requesting the move.
“I believe Moffat County is in a good position; I really do,” Broom said following the approval of the letter.
When asked what she feels the decision will be from CDPHE, Ladrow said it’s an “optimistic yes.”
It is unclear when a decision from CDPHE could come down approving or denying the move to Level Green for Moffat County.
jcarney@craigdailypress.com
Support Local Journalism
Support Local Journalism
Readers around Craig and Moffat County make the Craig Press’ work possible. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism.
Now more than ever, your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally. Every contribution, however large or small, will make a difference.
Each donation will be used exclusively for the development and creation of increased news coverage.