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Moffat County sees spike in COVID cases since Friday

Staff reports
A Centers for Disease Control illustration of the COVID-19 coronavirus.
Screen Shot 2020-07-04 at 10.53.01 AM

Moffat County’s COVID status could move up to “cautious” in the coming weeks after a recent spike in cases, the county’s Public Health office warned Wednesday, and events for the upcoming Oct. 30 homecoming and Halloween are being assessed.

On Oct. 16, officials in the county reported five new positive cases for the previous week. Since then, however, they have confirmed 11 new cases. Of those new cases, seven patients are in their 50s or older, including a man in his 70s. Moffat County has had 61 positive COVID cases and one death since testing began.

Moffat County’s current “Protect Our Neighbor” status, which is the lowest level on Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s meter, would move up to level 1 of the “Safer at Home” designation known as “cautious.” Moffat is one of only five counties in the state currently in the “Protect Our Neighbors” category.



According to the state’s three main metrics, Moffat County now is in the “concerned” level for the two-week cumulative incidents but remains in the lowest levels for the two-week positivity rate at 2.7% and in the area of no more than two new hospitalizations reported per day in the past two weeks.

 “If the county is to maintain ‘Protect Our Neighbor’ status, the county must regain control of the spread of COVID‐19 within three weeks. The number of weekly positive cases must drop below seven per 14-day period within the next three weeks,” according to a news release Wednesday from Moffat County’s Public Health Office. “If Moffat County’s positivity rate does not decline, CDPHE could require mitigation plan implementation next week.”



If the county can stay in the lowest status, Moffat County will qualify for an additional 10% capacity opening on Nov. 15 bringing re‐opening capacity to 60%, officials said Wednesday. There are currently 13 active cases in the county.

The county said Wednesday that as part of the mitigation planning and in consultation with the Board of Health, “Public Health has contacted the Downtown Business Association and Victory Motors to discuss the planned Halloween activities. Public Health is also working with the Moffat County School District on the planned Homecoming activities.”

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