October 2020 WILDFIRE UPDATE Cameron Peak Fire: 208,663 acres and 64% contained. 2,420 homes evacuated East Troublesome Fire: 192,560 acres and 20% contained. 7,040 homes evacuated Middle Fork Fire: 20,433 acres and 30% contained. Williams Fork Fire: 14,749 acres and 35% contained. Calwood Fire: 10,105 acres and 76% contained. Lefthand Canyon Fire: 460 acres and 100% contained. Ice Fire: 596 acres and 90% contained. Last week, Colorado saw significant fire activity and development, particularly with the East Troublesome Fire, and damage assessment teams are working in all fire areas this week to determine impact to property and wildlife. Thankfully, snowy weather over the weekend helped slow the growth of these fires, and some evacuation orders have been lifted: All evacuation orders in the Boulder area have been lifted. Parts of Estes Park remain under mandatory evacuations. Rocky Mountain National Park is closed to visitors. The Red Cross has provided shelter and meal support to evacuees, including: 27,829 overnight stays. 25,391 meals and snacks served with other non-profit partners. 231 volunteers allocated to support sheltering efforts. The state continues doing everything we can to support our local communities, and we stand with all those who have been impacted by these fires. RISING CASES AND HOSPITALIZATIONS Today, Governor Polis was joined by Scott Bookman, Interim Director of Division of Disease Control and Public Health Response and Incident Commander for COVID-19, to discuss rising case numbers and explain the impact on Colorado’s ICU and regular hospital bed capacity. Here in Colorado, we are seeing rising cases, increased hospitalizations, and a positivity rate that is approaching 8%. Additionally: We have hit an all time high for the total number of cases detected; Hospitalizations have increased at an accelerating rate for the past six weeks; and Some hospitals are even choosing to start delaying elective surgeries because of the alarming number of new cases coming through their doors. If these trends continue, we will exceed May hospitalization numbers -- the peak of our first wave -- next month, and the most recent modeling predicts that we’ll exceed all of our existing hospital capacity by the end of the year -- but only if we maintain the status quo. And if we see further decreases in social distancing or challenges due to holiday travel, flu season, or people moving indoors because of cold weather, the demand on our hospitals could be even greater. Fortunately, we have spent the past few months preparing. Every day, our state and local health care leaders and partners are working to ensure that if a Coloradan needs care, they can get it. HOSPITAL CAPACITY UPDATE Hospitals are complex, dynamic systems with varying bed availability that depend on need. Here are some fast facts about Colorado’s hospital capacity: Capacity: Before COVID-19, Colorado had 8,444 medical beds and 1,849 ICU beds. Surge capacity can reach up to 12,588 medical beds, 3,782 ICU beds, and 2,214 beds at alternate care sites. Hospital Preparedness: Colorado Convention Center has 80 beds ready to support a surge, and is prepared to make up to 200 beds available in two weeks. St. Anthony Facility and St. Mary Corwin are prepared to make available an additional 80 beds each in the next two weeks. At alternative care sites, we have 130 beds available to stand up within 2-3 weeks, and can surge up to 360 if needed. Under surge capacity, trained medical professionals can turn a medical bed into an ICU bed with the right equipment. Timing: It could take up to four weeks to reach surge capacity. Since September, our hospitalizations have doubled. The good news is that while the total number of people seeking hospital care has increased these past few weeks, the median length of stay has shortened from six days to five. Due to major gains in clinical management, Colorado has seen mortality rates go down. And while we are still seeing emerging cases in older populations, many older Coloradans are observing high levels of social distancing. These are clear trends in the right direction, and an indication that Coloradans doing their part every day could mean the difference between life and death. PERSONAL GATHERINGS LIMITED TO 10 PEOPLE Coloradans are not being as cautious in their social interactions, and as a result, our R-naught value is going up. That’s why last week, the Governor reduced the personal gathering limit to 10 people, with no more than two households. Every “bubble” is only as good as its weakest link, because once COVID is in a household, it spreads to everyone. And like fishing, the wider we cast our social “net” during COVID, the more likely we are to catch or encounter the virus. Small individual actions -- like inviting two friends over to hang out indoors instead of seeing one friend physically distanced outside, or attending multiple small gatherings over one weekend -- add up to big public health impacts. Coloradans need to do a better job of: Wearing masks; Limiting social interactions to one other person or family, if necessary; Washing hands frequently; and Physically distancing. The Governor warned that if we do not course correct now and save our hospital capacity in the process, more Coloradans will die from this virus and other causes -- our neighbors, coworkers, friends, family members, or even ourselves. COLORADO EXPOSURE NOTIFICATIONS This past Sunday, CDPHE launched the COVID-19 Exposure Notification System. This is a new feature on your phone that notifies you if you may have been exposed to someone contagious with COVID-19. By opting in through your iPhone device settings or downloading the app onto your Android device, you can better protect yourself and your family. Through the service: Anonymous tokens are shared with other CO Exposure Notifications users using your phone’s bluetooth; If another user you’ve been in contact with tests positive for COVID-19 within a 14-day period, the service will notify you; If you test positive, you can easily and anonymously notify others to stop the spread of COVID-19; and Your name, location, IP address, phone number or any other identifying information will not be shared. Using this service could result in receiving notifications days earlier than you would typically get notified by a contact tracer. The more Coloradans who participate, the better we can contain this virus and slow its spread. For more information about CO Exposure Notifications, visit addyourphone.com. ELECTION UPDATE The Governor today reminded Coloradans that Election Day is just one week away (Tuesday, November 3), and Coloradans will have every opportunity to vote in-person until Election Day. Voting centers will remain open, and COVID-19 restrictions will not impact the ability to cast your ballot at one of our hundreds of 24-hour drop boxes or local voting centers. Find your nearest voting center at GoVoteColorado.gov. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ Visit Website Office of Governor Jared Polis | 136 State Capitol , Denver, CO 80203 Unsubscribe [email protected] Update Profile | About our service provider Sent by [email protected]