Remain Diligent with Social Distancing

AS DURANGO RE-OPENS FOR BUSINESS AND OUT-OF-TOWN VISITORS BEGIN TO ARRIVE, PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS SAY SOCIAL-DISTANCING, WEARING MASKS, AND PRACTICING GOOD HYGIENE ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER TO REDUCE THE SPREAD OF COVID-19. [p] . YOU’RE WATCHING THE LOCAL NEWS NETWORK, BROUGHT TO YOU BY WHOLE HEALTH FAMILY MEDICINE. I’M WENDY GRAHAM SETTLE. [p] . COVID-19 CASES HAVE SPIKED AROUND THE COUNTRY AS COMMUNITIES ATTEMPT TO RE-OPEN FOR BUSINESS. [p] . LA PLATA COUNTY IS NO EXCEPTION. [p] . SAN JUAN BASIN PUBLIC HEALTH REPORTED 36 NEW CASES OF COVID-19 – A 42-PERCENT INCREASE – BETWEEN JUNE 15TH AND JULY 1ST. [p] . THAT COMPARES WITH ONLY FOUR NEW CASES THAT OCCURRED DURING THE FIRST TWO WEEKS OF JUNE. [p] . CONFIRMED CASES IN LA PLATA COUNTY NOW TOTAL 120 RESIDENTS. [p] . BEGINNING JULY 1ST, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT ALSO BEGAN REPORTING CASES AMONG NON-RESIDENTS AS VISITORS BEGIN ARRIVING FROM DURANGO’S TRADITIONAL DRIVE MARKETS IN TEXAS, NEW MEXICO, ARIZONA AND UTAH, WHERE CASES ARE INCREASING DRAMATICALLY. [p] . THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT IDENTIFIED THREE NON-RESIDENT CASES IN LA PLATA COUNTY AND SIX IN ARCHULETA COUNTY SINCE IT BEGAN COUNTING NON RESIDENTS IN MID-JUNE. [p] . NORMALLY, NON-RESIDENT CASES ARE REPORTED ONLY TO THEIR COUNTY OF RESIDENCE, BUT JOLLON SAID RESIDENTS HAVE REQUESTED THE INFORMATION AS VISITORS BEGIN TO ARRIVE, AND IT’S A REMINDER THAT DURANGO ISN’T IMMUNE.
WE KNOW THAT THIS IS HAPPENING AROUND THE COUNTRY. YOU KNOW, THERE IS KIND OF QUARANTINE FATIGUE. PEOPLE WANT TO GET BACK TO NORMAL LIFE. COLORADO HAS OPENED UP, YOU KNOW, FOR TOURISM. WE’VE OPENED UP FOR BUSINESS. AND AS LONG AS WE, AS INDIVIDUALS HAVE MORE CONTACT WITH OTHER PEOPLE, WE’RE GOING TO BE AT INCREASED RISK. THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT WE EXPECT TO HAPPEN AS WE START MOVING AROUND MORE AND GETTING, YOU KNOW, HAVING MORE CONTACTS WITH OTHER PEOPLE.THE SPIKE IN CASES AS PEOPLE TRY TO RETURN TO SOME SENSE OF NORMALCY PROMPTED COLORADO GOVERNOR JARED POLIS TO RE-CLOSE BARS AND NIGHTCLUBS IN THE STATE THIS WEEK. [p] . AND IF COMMUNITIES WANT TO AVOID FURTHER CLOSURES, JOLLON SAID RESIDENTS NEED TO REMAIN DILIGENT ABOUT SOCIAL DISTANCING, WEARING MASKS, AND PRACTICING GOOD HYGIENE LIKE FREQUENT HAND-WASHING TO REDUCE THE RISK OF INFECTION, PARTICIPARLY IF  SOCIALIZING WITH OTHERS.
WE KNOW WE’RE GOING INTO A HOLIDAY WEEKEND. PEOPLE WILL WANT TO ENJOY SOME TIME OFF AND ENJOY FRIENDS AND FAMILY, BUT ANYTIME WE’RE WITH OTHER PEOPLE, THE RISK IS NOT ZERO. WE ARE INCREASING OUR RISK. SO THEN IT’S OUR JOB TO MAKE IT AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE.

IF YOU’RE ATTENDING A BARBECUE OR HOLIDAY PARTY, JOLLON ADVISES HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS TO MAINTAIN SOCIAL DISTANCES OF 6 FEET OR MORE FROM OTHER HOUSEHOLDS, WEAR A MASK IF YOU CAN’T MAINTAIN THAT SOCIAL DISTANCE, BRING YOUR OWN FOOD TO THE PARTY, DON’T SHARE FOOD, AND LIMIT ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION.WE REALLY WANT PEOPLE TO LIMIT THEIR ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION WHEN THEY’RE GETTING TOGETHER IN GROUPS, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT WHEN PEOPLE ARE ENJOYING ALCOHOL, THEY HAVE A HIGHER LIKELIHOOD OF FORGETTING ABOUT SOCIAL DISTANCING. SO THAT PIECE IS REALLY IMPORTANT, RIGHT?
IN THE MEANTIME, RESIDENTS AND VISITORS ARE REQUIRED TO WEAR MASKS IN PUBLIC PLACES IN DURANGO, AN EMERGENCY HEALTH ORDER THAT THE CITY COUNCIL EXTENDED INDEFINITELY. JOLLON SAID DURANGO IS ONE OF ONLY A DOZEN COMMUNITIES IN COLORADO THAT REQUIRES MASKS IN PUBLIC, BUT ADDED THAT DURANGO’S EARLY COMPLIANCE WITH SOCIAL-DISTANCING MEASURES HAVE KEPT INFECTION RATES RELATIVELY LOW. [p] . AND IF DURANGO DEMONSTRATES ITS COMMITMENT TO A HEALTHY COMMUNITY, PERHAPS VISITORS WILL FOLLOW SUIT.SO IF WE CAN KIND OF ROLE MODEL IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT WE PRACTICE SOCIAL DISTANCING, AND AS PEOPLE COME INTO THE COMMUNITY, WE DEMONSTRATE THAT THIS IS THE NORM. THIS IS HOW WE HAVE BEEN A HEALTHY COMMUNITY THROUGHOUT THIS PANDEMIC. WE WOULD HOPE THAT VISITORS TO THE COMMUNITY RESPECT THE WAY THAT WE’VE BEEN DOING IT HERE. AND THAT SHOULD HELP US REDUCE RISK FOR EVERYBODY. BUT THERE’S NO WAY THAT WE CAN HAVE ZERO RISK IN A COMMUNITY OF OUR SIZE WITH PEOPLE COMING AND GOING. I MEAN, THAT’S JUST IMPOSSIBLE.TO LEARN MORE ABOUT INFECTION RATES AND HEALTH ORDERS, VISIT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT’S WEB SITE AT S J B PUBLIC HEALTH DOT ORG. [p] . THANKS FOR WATCHNG THIS EDITION OF THE LOCAL NEWS NETWORK. I’M WENDY GRAHAM SETTLE.