COVID-19 Information

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) today released guidance for organized sports including organized youth recreational and adult amateur leagues, club sports, interscholastic, and other organization-sponsored athletics. The guidance includes information for each phase of the State’s new dial framework, released yesterday and addresses key topics like facility considerations, spectators, as well as tournaments, transportation, and travel.

Participating in sports, in any capacity during this pandemic, holds an inherent risk of possible infection for participants and risk of transmission to other individuals, such as their household members. Stakeholders must consider the risks and benefits of participation in their plans for resuming organized sports.

Adherence to public health guidelines is essential to minimize risk and disruptions to athletic activities. In addition, The risk of COVID-19 spread can be different depending on the type of activity which is based on:

• Number of people a player or coach interacts with;
• Type of physical interaction;
• Length of time of the close interaction;
• Sharing of equipment across multiple players;
• Environment of play (e.g. indoors, outdoors); and
• Layers of protection that are in place, including:

• face coverings,
• physical distancing,
• hand hygiene,
• cleaning and disinfecting commonly touched surfaces, etc.

Physical exertion, including sports, involves forced exhalation, which may increase the risk of transmission, similar to that seen in singing or playing certain musical instruments. Therefore, increased physical distancing of participants and spectators beyond a minimum of 6 feet is reasonable. Infection control measures applied collectively, such as screening, physical distancing of coaches and spectators, hand hygiene, and facial coverings where appropriate are especially important given that many sports involve close contact of individuals at various times during training or competition.

Teams that desire to practice and compete without disruption are strongly advised to take these recommendations seriously. Athletes, teams, and organizations should hold each other accountable to follow guidelines and ensure compliance with infection control measures during and beyond play. Behaviors and decisions of participants outside the sports setting may impact the ability of the entire team to participate in training or competition if a single athlete or coach becomes exposed or ill.

These guidelines can be applied to other settings where physical activity and forced exhalation occur, and parks and recreation staff (or their equivalent) and state sporting governing bodies are encouraged to enforce these guidelines.

Sports settings such as professional or collegiate entities should adhere to the specific guidelines for their governing body and specifications in public health orders. Sports with school age kids need to follow the school case investigation/outbreak guidance.

The full guidance is available online. Continue to stay up to date by visiting covid19.colorado.gov.

Jefferson County, Colo. – Jefferson County Public Health (JCPH) announced today the official launch of a new team, the Office of Pandemic Response (OPR), as part of the county’s long-term COVID-19 response and recovery strategy. The OPR’s main purpose will be to control the spread of COVID-19 in the community through at least the next two years by providing community impact support, conducting infection prevention and response, and collecting and assessing epidemiological information for everyone in the county.

“We are very encouraged to bring this new Office into our tool box to help in the continued fight against COVID-19,” said Dr. Mark B. Johnson, JCPH Executive Director. “Having this dedicated team of experts to focus solely on response and recovery efforts, building on what we have learned over the last six months, will help reduce the burden of this virus and save lives.”

As with many organizations, the impact of COVID-19 on businesses and organizations has greatly impacted day-to-day operations, and JCPH is no exception. Since the start of the pandemic in early 2020, JCPH has adapted its focus to keeping residents and visitors to the county safe from the new virus — with little increase in staffing and limited dedicated resources.

Led by Christine Billings, Emergency Preparedness and Response Supervisor and Incident Commander for Jefferson County’s COVID-19 response, the OPR will be incorporated into JCPH’s existing Emergency Preparedness and Response program — including approximately 15 new hires as well as many current staff who will work across various programs. Day-to-day activities will include implementing outbreak response tasks; organizing and administering community testing sites; conducting case investigations and contact tracing; collecting and providing public information; and providing overall education regarding safe practices and life-saving habits. Activities will also be adapted over time to reflect the most current and unique needs of Jefferson County.

“Having an expanded team of dedicated public health experts, combined with the resources they need to do their jobs, is going to help our county greatly in this fight against COVID-19,” said Billings. “Our team has worked extremely hard over these last several months, but the OPR will really ensure we have the tools necessary to increase our support to the community as we work through the response and recovery process.”

Per the scope of agreement, the OPR will function through December 2022, operating under a $4.2M grant from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, via the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE).

Learn more about how COVID-19 is currently affecting Jeffco, what you can do to help slow the spread, community resources and more at www.jeffco.us/coronavirus.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) released updated guidance for detecting, reporting, and responding to cases and outbreaks of COVID-19 in schools and child care settings.

Over the past week, the department undertook substantial stakeholder engagement activities to gather input on how to make the guidance as helpful as possible for the start of the school year. Stakeholders that provided input included school districts, school nurses, teachers union representatives, local public health agencies, and counties. More than 70 representatives were involved in this process.

The new guidance includes information for child care and pre-K settings. It also includes tools that can help parents, students, teachers, staff, and schools determine who needs to stay home from school. This includes:

• A home checklist for parents and school staff. This will help parents and staff determine if they or their child should go to school.
• A screening tool to determine who needs to be sent home from school if they get sick. This will provide direction for teachers and staff who encounter a student or other teacher/staff member who appears sick at school.
• A tool to determine how long a person needs to stay home after staying or going home sick. This will provide information about when a person with COVID-19 symptoms can return to school depending on the level of transmission in the school’s community.
• A tool to determine if classmates or cohort members or close contacts of a sick person need to stay home. This will help schools determine when cohorts or classes must quarantine due to likely exposure to COVID-19.

This case and outbreak guidance, in addition to the school opening guidance, CDE’s toolkit for the 2020-21 school year, and guidance from local public health agencies will provide districts with the information they need to start the school year in a way that makes sense for their local communities. CDPHE will update guidance as additional data and information becomes available.

Continue to stay up to date by visiting covid19.colorado.gov.

County order remains consistent with state, region in most other areas

Jefferson County, Colo. – Jefferson County Public Health (JCPH), at the direction of the Jefferson County Board of Health issued a new Public Health Order 20-008 (PHO 20-008) that requires everyone in Jeffco ages 11 and older to wear a mask or cloth face covering when in public settings — both indoors and outdoors — when unable to maintain 6-foot social distancing. Currently, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s (CDPHE) mask order primarily applies to indoor settings. PHO 20-008 seeks to further protect our residents by requiring use of face coverings in outdoor settings as well. PHO 20-008 is effective July 24 at midnight until further notice.

“After an extensive discussion during our Board of Health meeting held on July 21, which included public comment from community members, the Board unanimously agreed it was important to implement a local mask order that best protects our residents based on the science and evidence currently available to us,” said Greg Deranleau, President of the Jefferson County Board of Health. “We know there is great benefit to wearing a mask outdoors when it’s difficult to keep 6 foot distance between yourself and others who don’t live with you, and we want this prevention strategy to be as effective as possible. Mandating masks outdoors is also consistent with the requirements set by other local public health agencies in the Denver Metro Area.”

This new order is a core part of JCPH’s proactive efforts to quickly curb the recent acceleration in COVID-19 cases in Jeffco. As of today, the county has surpassed its two-week case limit set forth in its first variance. The limit set by CDPHE in Jeffco’s first variance is 580 cases in a two-week period; from July 11-24 we have had at least 584 total cases (confirmed and probable). That means we must implement a mitigation plan that gets our cases back below the limit or we risk losing our variance.

PHO 20-008 does not require face coverings when in private residences, or in a personal vehicle when traveling alone or with members of your household. The order also provides exceptions for medical conditions, certain work conditions, first responder unforeseen emergencies, children 10 years of age younger, and for other situations in which CDPHE has explicitly permitted the removal of a face covering. Face coverings should not be worn by young children under age 2, anyone who cannot medically tolerate wearing it, or anyone who is unable to remove it without assistance.

“We deeply thank our Jeffco residents for working with us during this time and for continuing to take the steps needed to slow the spread of this disease,” said Dr. Mark B. Johnson, Executive Director at JCPH. “We know it has been a long, hard summer, and we hope that by working together we can keep our businesses open and community safe in a sustainable way. Remember to keep caring for one another and doing your part.”

• Full Public Health Order

For more information about face coverings, including tips for how to wear them, how to clean them and more, visit https://www.jeffco.us/4056/Mask-Guidance or https://covid19.colorado.gov/mask-guidance.

About Preventing the Spread of COVID-19

Overwhelming evidence shows that the virus that causes COVID-19 is transmitted by droplets, including microscopic droplets, or aerosols. Therefore, anything we can do to keep spit, saliva, snot, phlegm and moist breath from traveling from an infected individual to a susceptible individual will help decrease spread. There are three commonly accepted ways of doing this: increasing distance between a person with the virus and another person, putting barriers between the faces of the two people, and cleaning any objects on which the person with the virus may have deposited droplets. That’s why guidance from public health includes increasing social (physical) distancing; using masks, face shields, Plexiglas barriers, etc.; and practicing personal and communal hygiene. If we can accomplish these three interventions of separation and cleanliness, we can greatly limit the spread of this virus.

Jefferson County, Colo. – Despite several public health orders over the last few weeks and concerted efforts, Jefferson County has seen an increase in COVID-19 cases – from 388 cases (probable and confirmed) during the weeks of June 27-July 10, to just over 580 total cases for the weeks of July 11-24, meaning the county has surpassed its two-week case limit set forth in its first variance. As a result, the county must implement a mitigation plan to bring these numbers within the threshold limit or risk having its variance rescinded.

“At this time, we are looking at how we stem this tide of increased COVID-19 cases, while allowing businesses and other entities to remain open for residents and visitors and not cause any more pain to our economy,” said Dr. Mark Johnson, Executive Director of JCPH. “Due to an overall rise in virus cases around the nation and state, many areas are already having variances rescinded, which is causing another closure of certain types of businesses that are still feeling the economic effects of the state’s first Stay-at-Home Order.”

Jefferson County Public Health (JCPH) has been constantly looking at ways to mitigate the rise of COVID-19 cases in Jefferson County so we can keep our local variance. One such mitigation strategy is Public Health Order 20-007 enacted on July 20, which ensures that venues have a solid plan in place before holding larger events with more than one designated activity. This order requires venues of large events to provide JCPH a plan, and have it approved in writing, outlining virus safety precautions they plan to take to ensure compliance with the state’s PHO 20-28.

Another mitigation strategy is Public Health Order 20-008, a new face covering order issued today that expands on the state’s mask order and requires everyone ages 11 and older in Jeffco to wear a face covering when in indoor and outdoor public settings. JCPH is currently working to release other recommendations for areas of mitigation for our community.

“Most counties in Colorado are seeing an increase in positive cases and we are doing what is needed so that we don’t lose the great progress our community has made over the last several months,” said Johnson. “We want to remind everyone of the importance of wearing face coverings, the need to practice excellent hygiene and the need for social distancing to be able to continue doing our part to slow the spread of COVID-19 to protect our community and our businesses.”

The original Jefferson County variance, granted on June 8 by the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment, allowed for more lenient capacity limits for group gatherings across all venues, including places of worship. It also allowed re-opening of shopping malls, fitness centers, brewpubs, distilleries and other venues. The original local variance allowed for indoor gatherings of 50 people, or 50% occupancy, while outdoor settings allowed for 125 people. School graduations were allowed to take place as a part of that variance, with a plan approved by JCPH. To see the annotated Jefferson County variance next to the state’s Public Health Order, and information about how this variance loss could affect you or your business, see our Safer-at-Home web page.

Find more information about COVID-19 cases and other local data on the Case Summary web page.

About Preventing the Spread of COVID-19

Overwhelming evidence shows that the virus that causes COVID-19 is transmitted by droplets, including microscopic droplets, or aerosols. Therefore, anything we can do to keep spit, saliva, snot, phlegm and moist breath from traveling from an infected individual to a susceptible individual will help decrease spread. There are three commonly accepted ways of doing this: increasing distance between a person with the virus and another person, putting barriers between the faces of the two people, and cleaning any objects on which the person with the virus may have deposited droplets. That’s why guidance from public health includes increasing social (physical) distancing; using masks, face shields, Plexiglas barriers, etc.; and practicing personal and communal hygiene. If we can accomplish these three interventions of separation and cleanliness, we can greatly limit the spread of this virus.

• As of July 16, the CDC reports there have been 3,483,832 cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. There have been 136,938 deaths in the U.S. to date.
• There have been 38,726 cases of COVID-19 in Colorado and 1,745 deaths among cases (1,615 deaths due to COVID-19) (CDPHE).
• There have been 3,217 cases of COVID-19 in Jefferson County (confirmed and probable) and 218 total deaths (JCPH).
• To date, JCPH has processed 437 orders from health and medical partners for PPE: 323 orders were filled by JCPH and 114 orders were sent to the Jefferson County EOC and the State EOC. We have distributed over 49K N95 masks, 55K surgical masks, 132K gloves, 8,500 gowns, 4,000 face shields and other PPE to help protect our healthcare workers while they are providing care to patients. These materials were provided to first responders, hospitals, ancillary care partners, home health providers, midwives, dental practices, emergency eye care practices, orthodontics and our vulnerable populations who receive services in their homes. (Note: We are unable to accommodate PPE requests from the general public).
• On July 14, 2020, JCPH issued Emergency Public Health Order 20-005 ordering all individuals in Jefferson County to wear face coverings with certain limited exceptions, in an effort to protect and preserve the public health. Shortly after JCPH Order 20-005 was issued, the Governor of Colorado issued a state-wide Face Covering Order, Executive Order D 2020 138 (EO D 2020 138), which applies to all individuals and businesses in Jefferson County, and which contains restrictions that are substantially similar, though not identical, to JCPH Order 20-005. Executive Order D 2020 138 becomes effective on July 16, 2020 at midnight. To avoid confusion, JCPH will rescind Public Health Order 20-005. All individuals and businesses within Jefferson County should follow the face covering requirements set forth in the state’s EO D 2020 138.
  • For more information about what this means for you and frequently asked questions, visit: https://covid19.colorado.gov/mask-guidance
• Governor Polis amended and extended an Executive Order suspending certain statutes allowing the operation of alternate care sites in Colorado.
• This week, Governor Polis highlighted the Paycheck Protection Program and $129 billion available for small businesses that need aid. Businesses can apply until August 8, and can visit choosecolorado.com for more details.
• We strongly encourage anyone experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 to get tested. Community members can find testing information, including information about who should get tested, the importance of getting tested and a current list of free test sites, on JCPH’s Testing Page at www.jeffco.us/testing.
• Use the Colorado COVID-19 Symptom Support tool to share your symptoms to help stop the spread of COVID-19 in Colorado and get connected to resources to help you feel better.

DENVER - Governor Jared Polis today announced a Statewide mask order, directing Coloradans to wear a face covering while indoors. This Executive Order goes into effect at midnight tonight. The Governor also provided an update on the State’s response to COVID-19.

“Wearing a mask is an easy and highly effective way to significantly reduce the spread of COVID-19. The more we wear masks, the safer we will be and the stronger our economy will grow,” said Governor Jared Polis. “Unfortunately, this pandemic is far from over, cases are up, and we have to find a way to live sustainably while protecting ourselves and those around us. Masks are the ticket to the Colorado we love and a critical part of supporting Colorado’s economy and prosperity. The best way to support Colorado workers and businesses right now is to wear a mask. I’ve said this from the beginning, and it’s still true today: together, we will get through this.”

The Governor was joined by Denver Mayor Michael Hancock, Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman, and State Epidemiologist Dr. Rachel Herlihy at the announcement.

Coloradans older than 10 years old must wear a face covering over their nose and mouth when entering or moving within any public indoor space. A public indoor space is defined as any enclosed indoor area that is publicly or privately owned, managed or operated to which individuals have access by right or by invitation, expressed or implied, and that is accessible to the public, serves as a place of employment, or is an entity providing services. Public Indoor Space does not mean a person’s residence, including a room in a motel or hotel or a residential room for students at an educational facility. This includes wearing a face covering while using or waiting to use the services of any taxi, bus, light rail, train, car service, ride-sharing or similar service, or Mass Transportation Operations. Individuals 10 years old and younger, and those who cannot medically tolerate a face covering are exempt from this Executive Order.

Individuals performing the following activities are also exempt from the requirements of the Executive Order while the activity is being performed:

• Individuals who are hearing impaired or otherwise disabled or who are communicating with someone who is hearing impaired or otherwise disabled and where the ability to see the mouth is essential to communication;
• Individuals who are seated at a food service establishment;
• Individuals who are exercising alone or with others from the individual’s household and a face covering would interfere with the activity;
• Individuals who are receiving a personal service where the temporary removal of the face covering is necessary to perform the service;
• Individuals who enter a business or receive services and are asked to temporarily remove a face covering for identification purposes;
• Individuals who are actively engaged in a public safety role such as law enforcement, firefighters, or emergency medical personnel;
• Individuals who are officiating at a religious service; or
• Individuals who are giving a speech for broadcast or an audience.

To protect workers, customers, and the community, no business serving the public in a Public Indoor Space may provide service to a customer or allow a customer to enter or move within that Public Indoor Space, unless the customer is wearing a face covering. “Any individual who knowingly enters or remains in a Public Indoor Space in violation of the terms of this Executive Order may be subject to civil or criminal penalties, including but not limited to prosecution for trespass,” reads the Executive Order.

Counties that certify for Protect Our Neighbors may choose to become exempt.

The Governor also announced that the State is going to put a two-week pause on issuing any new variances to counties in the State. CDPHE is having conversations with counties who already have variances but have fallen out of compliance by recording higher levels of the virus than permitted by their variances. These counties must take urgent mitigation steps to suppress the virus or they risk losing their variances. This is the prudent thing to do at this moment in time as Colorado gathers more data about the behavior of this virus.

Golden, Colo. ­— July 10, 2020 — Golden City Council unanimously passed an emergency ordinance during their meeting last night, which expands current mask requirements to include indoor and outdoor areas of the city. This goes into effect today. Council made this decision in an effort to protect the community against COVID-19 and keep businesses open.

Ordinance 2140 requires face coverings for anyone working or visiting a building that’s open to the public. The order also requires masks in public areas outside, unless you can maintain six feet of separation from others. This includes streets, sidewalks, parks, trails, etc.

Exemptions to the mask order include:

• Children 3 and under
• People with existing medical conditions that make mask-wearing unsafe to their health
• Anyone undergoing a medical procedure (ex. Dentist or doctor appointments)
• When you are seated and eating or drinking
• Schools
• Organized sports leagues that are already in compliance with health guidelines

In Golden, follow the Golden Rule and wear a mask to protect others!

This Ordinance expires on Aug. 14 unless City Council votes to extend it. They will re-visit the mask ordinance monthly and make adjustments as necessary based on current health guidelines and pandemic concerns.

Additionally, Council directed staff to look for ways to re-open Clear Creek for limited recreation. Until safe solutions can be identified and implemented, access to the creek will remain closed.

Golden, Colo. ­— July 1, 2020: In anticipation of large crowds gathering along Clear Creek in Golden for the holiday weekend, the City of Golden is closing off all access to the creek within city limits. Pursuant to City Council direction at a special session last night, the City Manager will issue an administrative order closing access points to Clear Creek. “Last weekend’s crowds along the creek gave us deep concern in seeing large gatherings, no social distancing, and very few people wearing masks,” said Golden City Manager Jason Slowinski. “The July 4^th holiday weekend typically brings even bigger crowds to Golden. With the rise in COVID-19 cases in neighboring states where many visitors come from, we want to make sure we are not adding to the problem here in Colorado.”

Residential streets near the creek will be blocked, allowing for local access only. Temporary fencing will block all access points to enter Clear Creek, however the trail will still be accessible. “We want everyone to be able to enjoy all the things Golden has to offer,” said Golden Mayor Laura Weinberg. “This was a difficult decision for us to make, but in these unprecedented times, we have to do what we believe is best for the health of our community.”

City Manager Slowinski will post an administrative order today, requiring masks on all public property.

Additionally, Council will hold another special session on Wednesday, July 8 to consider an emergency ordinance requiring face masks. A previous resolution strongly suggested that people wear masks and encouraged businesses to mandate masks within their buildings, but we’ve learned over the past few weeks that more is needed. “Masks provide freedom for people to be able to travel around,” said Councilor JJ Trout. “Masks give the ability for folks to continue to be able to go to businesses, to hopefully once again enjoy the creek, all while protecting each other.”

Golden businesses are still open and we still welcome visitors. Parts of Washington Avenue (the main downtown street) will be blocked to vehicle traffic so that restaurants and retailers can take full advantage of outdoor seating opportunities. “Crowding along Clear Creek is the biggest problem spot we’ve seen, which is why it is the focus of these decisions,” said Slowinski. “We understand closing off access to the creek won’t solve all the problems we face with protecting ourselves and others against the spread of the virus. But it may help keep our city from becoming a hot spot.”

The creek will stay closed until further notice. City Council directed staff to research safe ways to allow for recreation along the creek. They will discuss at the next regular City Council meeting on Thursday, July 9.