As concerns over the coronavirus continue to grow nationwide, agencies in Montezuma County are working to establish protocols and prepare for worst-case scenarios.
It’s a constantly evolving situation.
After a meeting Thursday, local officials recommended that public events in the area be canceled or postponed for 21 days to help slow down the spread of the coronavirus, said Montezuma County Sheriff Steve Nowlin.
“For public safety and to be cautious, the recommendation is to reschedule or cancel events,” he said. “Large gatherings should really be avoided as a prevention measure.”
It will be up to local governments and organizations to decide whether events will be held or canceled, Nowlin said Thursday.
The meeting included officials from Montezuma and Dolores counties, Southwest Memorial Hospital, health departments and local doctors, Montezuma-Cortez School District, Mesa Verde National Park, the Cortez Police Department and fire departments.
Hospital preparesSouthwest Memorial Hospital has issued recommendations and information to the public in a Facebook video released Thursday morning.
Hospital and health officials have not reported any COVID-19 cases in Montezuma County. If there is a confirmed case, the information will be issued to local media outlets and on Facebook pages of the county and hospital and on their websites.
“It think the virus will eventually make it to our area,” said Karen Labonte, chief nursing officer for Southwest Health System.
SHS protocols include testing patients and treating them in the emergency department and in physician practices. There are daily meetings with county health officials and the sheriff. Daily updates on the virus and its spread are provided by the state health department and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“By practicing social distancing and hygiene, we can help slow the spread,” Labonte said.
The coronavirus has infected the elderly in nursing homes in other parts of the U.S. Marc Meyer, SHS director of infection control, advised residents to limit their visits to nursing homes.
Southwest Memorial has isolation areas to control and treat patients with respiratory symptoms, Meyer said.
Montezuma County agencies brace for arrival of coronavirus
Health officials advise the public to practice frequent hand washing, avoid crowds and unnecessary travel, avoid shaking hands, and to cough into the crux of your elbow rather than into your hand. Also stay home if you are sick.
If you are in an area where there is someone coughing nearby, officials recommend washing your hands, and going home to change clothes to help reduce the risk of infection. If you have questions or are showing symptoms of the virus, call the SHS COVID-19 Patient Information Line at 970-564-2201.
Schools have planAll three Montezuma County school districts have posted statements online regarding the pandemic.
On March 11, Gov. Jared Polis held a press conference in which he shared new recommendations regarding when schools should close due to COVID-19 infections in students or staff members.
“Dolores School District intends to follow these guidelines immediately,” says the statement for the Dolores School District Re-4A. “In light of spring break and imminent travel by students and families, we will monitor the situation carefully while students are gone and continue to provide updates.”
Polis recommended that if one student or staff member at a site test positive for COVID-19, the school should close for 72 hours to clean and disinfect; with two positive cases, a school should close for 144 hours total; and if three or more students or staffers test positive, a school should close for 14 days.
Montezuma-Cortez School District Re-1 sent out a letter to parents on March 11 with its own action steps to help prevent the virus spreading.
“At this time, we are not aware of any presumed positive cases in our area,” Re-1 stated in its letter. “However, our safety and health team are working closely with the county, city, and health department and we have updated our emergency plans to include the guidance from the health department.”
The action steps include: deep sanitation and cleaning, educating students and staff on how to prevent the spread of colds and flus, sending students and staff who are feeling sick home, setting up an up-to-date webpage on the district website, and suspending all out of state school-related travel for staff and students.
“This means that a few trips and many sporting events will need to be changed,” said Montezuma-Cortez High School Principal Eric Chandler. “As of now, all Colorado trips are still allowed. We will revise schedules and calendars as cancellations/reschedules occur.”
And on March 12, the district released a statement from the Colorado High School Activities Association announcing that all spring sports and activities will be suspended until April 6 “to address concerns surrounding the on-going decisions with COVID-19 pandemic.”
The Mancos School District Re-6 reminded families and students to wash their hands vigorously, stay home when sick, and get the flu shot along with staying up-to-date with routine immunizations.
In other education news, the Colorado Education Association has canceled the statewide March on the Capitol, scheduled for March 19.
Governing bodiesKaren Dickson, emergency preparedness and response coordinator for the Montezuma County Public Health Department, has been making the rounds to various local agencies.
“This is a very rapidly evolving situation,” Dickson said at the March 10 Cortez City Council meeting.
She added that the county plans to continue holding Monday and Friday briefings, the Ute Mountain Ute tribe has established some travel restrictions for their staff and the 9Health fairs have been postponed. If the virus continues, the county will likely see a need for more respirators, she said – she has already put in an order to the state for extra respirators and surgical masks for the hospital.
“Right now, the priority is being given to counties that have the COVID-19 cases,” Dickson said.
At the meeting, Cortez Mayor Karen Sheek asked community members not to panic, and to follow the same procedures as during flu season, like hand-washing and coughing into an elbow or sleeve.
“Each of us has a responsibility to make this work,” Sheek said.
The town of Mancos has also posted its own plan for confronting COVID-19, based on guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Staff emphasize that employees should stay home if sick, workplaces should perform routine environmental cleaning, and employers should ask employees to follow CDC guidelines when traveling.
Ute Mountain Ute reservation free of virusThere are no cases of the coronavirus on the Ute Mountain Ute reservation, said emergency manager John Trocheck.
Information about the virus and prevention measures is being provided to the tribal members, he said. The community is advised to practice good hygiene, stay home if their sick, and contact the health clinic by phone at 970-565-441 if they have respiratory symptoms.
“Suspected cases will be reviewed by clinic staff,” he said.
No events have been canceled at this point, Trocheck said.
At the Ute Mountain Casino, staff has increased disinfection of gaming machines, and is also cleaning public and staff areas more frequently.
