First COVID-19 Case Confirmed in SWCO

3/24/20 COVID Testing

THE FIRST LA PLATA COUNTY RESIDENT WHO TESTED POSITIVE FORCOVID-19 OBTAINED THE DIAGNOSIS FROM A DRIVE-THROUGH TESTING CLINICIN CORTEZ. AND AS A RESULT, SAN JUAN BASIN HEALTH HAS ISSUED ASTAY-AT-HOME ADVISORY FOR ALL RESIDENTS IN LA PLATA AND ARCHULETACOUNTIES.

YOU’RE WATCHING THE LOCAL NEWS NETWORK, BROUGHT TO YOU BY GOALACADEMY, HELPING ALL STUDENTS ACHIEVE THEIR FULL POTENTIAL.

I’M WENDY GRAHAM SETTLE. SAN JUAN BASIN PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUED ITSOWN STAY-AT-HOME ADVISORY TO RESIDENTS IN LA PLATA AND ARCHULETACOUNTIES TO REAFFIRM THE IMPORTANCE OF FOLLOWING LOCAL AND STATEORDERS TO LIMIT CONTACT WITH OTHERS TO STOP THE SPREAD OF THEDISEASE. THE ADVISORY COMES AFTER THE LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENTANNOUNCED ON MONDAY THAT A LA PLATA COUNTY RESIDENT TESTED POSITIVEFOR THE VIRUS. BUT THE RESIDENT DIDN’T GET TESTED IN LA PLATA COUNTY.A DRIVE-THROUGH CLINIC OFFERED DAILY BY SOUTHWEST MEMORIAL HOSPITALIN CORTEZ ACTUALLY ADMINISTERED THE TEST THAT IDENTIFIED THE FIRSTCONFIRMED CASE OF COVID-19. THE HOSPITAL OPENED THE DRIVE-THROUGHCLINIC LAST WEEK.

WE DID HAVE A POSITIVE TEST RESULT FROM A DRIVE-UP COVID TEST.THEY DROVE UP TO OUR CLINIC. THEY WERE TESTED AND THEY WERE, THEYDROVE BACK TO LA PLATA COUNTY WHERE THEY LIVE. AND THE LA PLATA,PLATA COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT WILL HAVE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THATCASE.

THE STATE LAB THAT PROCESSED THE TEST REPORTED THE RESULTS TO SANJUAN BASIN PUBLIC HEALTH, BECAUSE THE RESIDENT LIVES IN THAT HEALTHDEPARTMENT’S JURISDICTION. ACCORDING TO STATE LAW, THE HOME HEALTHDEPARTMENT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR INVESTIGATING THE SOURCE OF THEINFECTIOUS DISEASE AND TO IDENTIFY ITS POTENTIAL SPREAD. SAN JUANBASIN HEALTH DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS SAID THE FIRST POSITIVE CASE OFCOVID-19 IS COMMUNITY RELATED AND THAT THE RESIDENT HAD TRAVELED TOANOTHER AREA OF COLORADO. PUBLIC HEALTH DIRECTOR LIANE JOLLON SAIDTHE INFECTED RESIDENT HAD BEEN PRACTICING SOCIAL DISTANCING, AND THATSUBSEQUENT INTERVIEWS WITH PEOPLE WHO MAY HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITHTHE INFECTED RESIDENT WERE COMPLETED IN TWO HOURS. HEALTH AGENCIESAND EMERGENCY RESPONDERS HAVE BEEN PLANNING FOR A LOCAL CORONAVIRUSOUTBREAK SINCE JANUARY AND HAVE ASSUMED THE VIRUS WAS CIRCULATING INSOUTHWEST COLORADO SINCE THE FIRST CASE WAS REPORTED IN SUMMIT COUNTYON MARCH 5TH.

WE FEEL THAT IT CONFIRMS WHAT WE’VE KNOWN FOR QUITE SOME TIME,WHICH IS THAT IT IS CIRCULATING HERE, AND IF IT WASN’T, IT WAS ABOUTTO BE, BECAUSE THAT’S WHY THIS VIRUS HAS BECOME A GLOBAL PANDEMIC.

SAN JUAN BASIN PUBLIC HEALTH CONDUCTED ITS OWN DRIVE THROUGHTESTING CLINICS ON MARCH 20TH AND 21ST, BUT ONLY FOR THOSE RESIDENTSWHO MET STRINGENT QUALIFICATIONS SET BY THE COLORADO DEPARTMENT OFHEALTH. TESTING WAS LIMITED TO HEALTH-CARE WORKERS, FIRST-RESPONDERS,HIGH-RISK RESIDENTS WITH PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS, RESIDENTS OVER THEAGE OF 60, AND RESIDENTS WHO EXHIBITED SIGNS OF INFECTION AND WHO HADA NOTE FROM THEIR PHYSICIANS REQUESTING THE TEST. JOLLON SAID THEHEALTH DEPARTMENT HAD ONLY 100 TEST KITS AND SAMPLED 70 RESIDENTSDURING THE TWO-DAY EFFORT. A THIRD DRIVE-THROUGH CLINIC WILL BE HELDON MARCH 25TH UNTIL THE REMAINING 30 TESTS HAVE BEEN USED. RESULTSWON’T BE AVAILABLE FOR NEARLY A WEEK. JOLLON SAID THE HEALTHDEPARTMENT GATHERED THE TESTS THIS WEEK TO GET A SNAPSHOT OF COVIDINFECTIONS IN THE COMMUNITY, BECAUSE DATA ARE KEY TO UNDERSTANDINGTHE RATE OF INFECTION AND MITIGATING ITS IMPACTS. THE HEALTHDEPARTMENT HAS BEEN HINDERED IN ITS ABILITY TO CONDUCT WIDESPREADTESTING BECAUSE OF THE SHORTAGE OF TESTS AVAILABLE, THE LACK OFPROTECTIVE GEAR, THE LENGTH OF TIME IT TAKES TO PROCESS THE TESTS,AND BACKLOGS AT STATE LABS.  EVEN THE CORTEZ DRIVE-THROUGH TESTINGCLINICS HAVE STRICTLY LIMITED ADMINISTRATION OF THE CORONA VIRUSTESTS TO PATIENTS WHO MEET COLORADO DEPARTMENT OF HEALTHREQUIREMENTS.  STATE LABS WILL NOT PROCESS A CORONAVIRUS TEST IF THEPATIENT DOESN’T MEET THE CRITERIA. THERE IS NO VACCINE NOR CURE FORCORONA VIRUS, AND IF YOU EXHIBIT SYMPTOMS . . . FEVER, COUGH,SHORTNESS OF BREATH . . . CALL YOUR HEALTH-CARE PROVIDER FOR FURTHERINSTRUCTIONS. MOST LIKELY, YOU WILL NOT BE TESTED BECAUSE OF THESHORTAGE OF TEST KITS STATEWIDE. YOU HAVE SYMPTOMS, ASSUME THAT YOUHAVE IT AND TREAT IT LIKE YOU WOULD THE FLU. ISOLATE YOURSELF IN YOURHOME. DRINK PLENTY OF FLUIDS, EAT WELL, AND GET PLENTY OF REST. IFSYMPTOMS WORSEN, YOUR BREATHING BECOMES MORE DIFFICULT, FOR EXAMPLE,CONTACT YOUR DOCTOR OR THE EMERGENCY ROOM FOR INSTRUCTIONS SO THATTHEY CAN PREPARE FOR YOUR ARRIVAL. IN THE MEANTIME, JOLLON EMPHASIZEDTHAT THE BEST WAY TO PREVENT INFECTION IS TO PRACTICE SOCIALDISTANCING AND TO STAY HOME. THAT’S WHY THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT ISSUEDITS OWN STAY-AT-HOME ADVISORY ON MONDAY, MARCH 23RD.

SO THE POINT OF TODAY’S ADVISORY IS TO REALLY STRESS THEGRAVITY OF THE SITUATION AND THE IMPORTANT RESPONSIBILITY THAT EACHOF US HAS AS AN INDIVIDUAL TO STAY HOME AND DO OUR PART. SO WE AREADVISING OFFICIALLY, AND THAT IS THE SAME AS ASKING ALL OF US, PLEASEDO YOUR PART. YOU KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT’S ESSENTIAL ANDNOT ESSENTIAL. AND TAKE A SECOND BEFORE YOU WALK OUT THE DOOR ANDHAVE THAT CONVERSATION WITH YOURSELF. AND IF IT IS NOT ESSENTIAL, YOUSHOULD BE STAYING HOME. THAT’S WHAT WE’RE ASKING FOR. WE’RE ASKING TOBE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY AND WORK TOGETHER TO KEEP OURSELVES SAFE.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT TESTING AND HEALTH-CARE SERVICES INMONTEZUMA COUNTY, VISIT S W HEALTH DOT ORG. FOR MORE INFORMATIONABOUT COVID-19 IN LA PLATA AND ARCHULETA COUNTIES, VISIT S J B PUBLICHEALTH DOT ORG. THANKS FOR WATCHING THIS EDITION OF LOCAL NEWSNETWORK, BROADCASTING IN MONTEZUMA, ARCHULETA, LA PLATA AND SANMIGUEL COUNTIES. PLEASE PRACTICE SOCIAL DISTANCING, STAY HOME IFYOU’RE SICK, AND WASH YOUR HANDS FREQUENTLY. I’M WENDY GRAHAM SETTLEFOR THE LOCAL NEWS NETWORK.

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