San Juan Basin Public Health officials say they’re making progress on COVID vaccine distribution, but until supplies ramp up, vaccinations for the entire Southwest Colorado population may take longer than anticipated.
Learn More
Transcript
1
00:00:00,150 –> 00:00:02,080
San Juan based in public health officials
2
00:00:02,080 –> 00:00:05,240
say they’ve administered
the first COVID vaccinations
3
00:00:05,240 –> 00:00:07,380
to nearly all frontline healthcare workers
4
00:00:07,380 –> 00:00:09,600
in La Plata and Archuleta Counties
5
00:00:09,600 –> 00:00:12,930
but limited supplies are
hindering progress on vaccinating
6
00:00:12,930 –> 00:00:14,750
those next in line.
7
00:00:14,750 –> 00:00:16,810
You’re watching the local
news network brought to you
8
00:00:16,810 –> 00:00:19,170
by Krieger’s ACE hardware in Durango.
9
00:00:19,170 –> 00:00:21,200
I’m Wendy Graham Settle.
10
00:00:21,200 –> 00:00:25,040
The number of confirmed
COVID-19 cases continues to rise
11
00:00:25,040 –> 00:00:26,900
in La Plata and Archuleta county,
12
00:00:26,900 –> 00:00:30,700
with nearly 200 cases reported
the second week of January,
13
00:00:30,700 –> 00:00:34,330
in what public health officials
say is a post holiday spike,
14
00:00:34,330 –> 00:00:37,540
from Christmas gatherings
and new year’s eve parties.
15
00:00:37,540 –> 00:00:39,040
So far, La Plata County
16
00:00:39,040 –> 00:00:42,230
has had a total of nearly
2,600 confirmed cases
17
00:00:42,230 –> 00:00:45,250
and Archuleta County 560 cases
18
00:00:45,250 –> 00:00:49,310
since the pandemic hit Colorado
on March 4th last year.
19
00:00:49,310 –> 00:00:50,730
That’s the bad news.
20
00:00:50,730 –> 00:00:52,810
The good news is that vaccinations
21
00:00:52,810 –> 00:00:54,960
against the virus are underway,
22
00:00:54,960 –> 00:00:57,290
although supplies are limited.
23
00:00:57,290 –> 00:01:00,880
Currently we are concluding phase 1A
24
00:01:00,880 –> 00:01:01,840
in Southwest Colorado,
25
00:01:01,840 –> 00:01:04,240
which is our high risk healthcare workers.
26
00:01:04,240 –> 00:01:07,410
Phase 1A also includes our
long-term care facilities.
27
00:01:07,410 –> 00:01:09,560
All of the long-term
care facilities and staff
28
00:01:09,560 –> 00:01:12,650
in Southwest Colorado have
received their first dose
29
00:01:12,650 –> 00:01:14,590
and we’re just waiting
on the second doses.
30
00:01:14,590 –> 00:01:17,470
So, we’re substantially
complete with phase 1A.
31
00:01:17,470 –> 00:01:20,450
We’ve made a lot of
progress into phase 1B,
32
00:01:20,450 –> 00:01:24,230
especially the groups that were
originally part of phase 1B,
33
00:01:24,230 –> 00:01:26,410
our moderate risk health care workers
34
00:01:26,410 –> 00:01:28,460
and our first responders.
35
00:01:28,460 –> 00:01:31,440
Just this week, I think
this week in La Plata County
36
00:01:31,440 –> 00:01:33,410
and last week in Archuleta County,
37
00:01:33,410 –> 00:01:37,050
we had the first doses for
members of the general public
38
00:01:37,050 –> 00:01:38,910
aged 70 and older.
39
00:01:38,910 –> 00:01:40,870
That is a very, very large category.
40
00:01:40,870 –> 00:01:43,840
It’s thousands of people
in Southwest Colorado
41
00:01:43,840 –> 00:01:46,110
so it is going to take
some time to complete.
42
00:01:46,110 –> 00:01:48,380
The good news is we have new providers
43
00:01:48,380 –> 00:01:51,550
getting enrolled to
give shots all the time,
44
00:01:51,550 –> 00:01:53,850
which means there are more
appointments available,
45
00:01:53,850 –> 00:01:55,700
more places people can go.
46
00:01:55,700 –> 00:02:00,700
There’s also discussions around
large vaccination clinics.
47
00:02:00,720 –> 00:02:02,590
The hospitals are getting more doses
48
00:02:02,590 –> 00:02:05,250
to vaccinate members of the public.
49
00:02:05,250 –> 00:02:07,240
It’s a really exciting time.
50
00:02:07,240 –> 00:02:08,660
There is a lot to it though
51
00:02:08,660 –> 00:02:11,210
and it is a very, very
large group of people.
52
00:02:11,210 –> 00:02:13,970
Vaccine availability
continues to be limited
53
00:02:13,970 –> 00:02:17,070
by the number of supplies
that we get from Colorado,
54
00:02:17,070 –> 00:02:18,700
the number of supplies Colorado gets
55
00:02:18,700 –> 00:02:19,910
from the federal government
56
00:02:19,910 –> 00:02:20,743
and of course,
57
00:02:20,743 –> 00:02:23,780
what the federal government
gets from the manufacturers.
58
00:02:23,780 –> 00:02:25,460
According to the Colorado Department
59
00:02:25,460 –> 00:02:27,530
of Public Health and Environment,
60
00:02:27,530 –> 00:02:31,080
Colorado receives only
70,000 vaccines a week
61
00:02:31,080 –> 00:02:34,150
for the state’s 5.8 million residents.
62
00:02:34,150 –> 00:02:37,490
The state health department
also noted that fewer than 10%
63
00:02:37,490 –> 00:02:40,010
of La Plata county’s 10,000 residents,
64
00:02:40,010 –> 00:02:44,810
ages 65 years and older, have
received their first vaccines.
65
00:02:44,810 –> 00:02:46,150
San Juan based in public health
66
00:02:46,150 –> 00:02:48,650
and other health clinics and organizations
67
00:02:48,650 –> 00:02:52,550
are now vaccinating
individuals in phase 1B.
68
00:02:52,550 –> 00:02:55,300
That includes moderate
risk healthcare workers,
69
00:02:55,300 –> 00:02:59,510
first responders and
residents age 70 and older.
70
00:02:59,510 –> 00:03:00,870
Frontline essential workers
71
00:03:00,870 –> 00:03:02,600
and essential state government officials
72
00:03:02,600 –> 00:03:06,250
will be eligible for
vaccines beginning March 1st.
73
00:03:06,250 –> 00:03:08,930
Phase two vaccinations
will be administered
74
00:03:08,930 –> 00:03:10,760
later this spring to residents
75
00:03:10,760 –> 00:03:13,330
between the ages of 60 and 69,
76
00:03:13,330 –> 00:03:15,790
higher risk residents
with health complications
77
00:03:15,790 –> 00:03:17,910
ages 16 to 59,
78
00:03:17,910 –> 00:03:20,750
essential workers or
local government officials
79
00:03:20,750 –> 00:03:22,690
not covered in phase 1B
80
00:03:22,690 –> 00:03:24,800
and residents who received a placebo
81
00:03:24,800 –> 00:03:27,490
during the vaccination testing period.
82
00:03:27,490 –> 00:03:30,930
All other residents will
receive vaccines this summer.
83
00:03:30,930 –> 00:03:32,940
You can sign up for email notifications
84
00:03:32,940 –> 00:03:34,870
to learn when vaccinations are available
85
00:03:34,870 –> 00:03:39,870
for your eligibility group
at sjbpublichealth.org.
86
00:03:40,300 –> 00:03:42,830
Thanks for watching this edition
of the Local News Network.
87
00:03:42,830 –> 00:03:44,393
I’m Wendy Graham Settle.
