November 2020 STATEWIDE MASK ORDER EXTENDED Today, Governor Polis extended the statewide mask order for an additional 30 days, as mask wearing is a scientifically proven way to help slow the spread of the virus and help save lives. At every opportunity, the Governor's office implores Coloradans to wear their masks; this action is critical to saving our economic livelihoods and public health. STATE WORKFORCE WORKING REMOTELY Governor Polis announced today that state employees will be working remotely at least through the end of November. This is in an effort to change the trajectory of this virus, and applies to state employees (with limited exceptions) in counties with orange or red levels of incidence. When the numbers were looking better statewide, the Colorado State Government was planning to return to in-person work at reduced levels in November. Due to our alarming trends, the Governor asks that our local governments and businesses in the private sector that have the ability, do everything they can to ensure that employees can work remotely, so we can sooner get back to business as usual, while keeping everyone safe. PFIZER VACCINE Governor Polis today provided an update on Colorado’s COVID-19 response and an overview of vaccine development progress. Early data from Pfizer suggests the vaccines in-development could be 90% effective against COVID-19. This is very encouraging news, but we are not in the clear yet. Even when the vaccine is approved, there are many unknown variables, including: Number of doses Colorado will receive; Amount of coverage for the entire population; and Amount of time to build up immunity (estimated 1-2 months before first and second vaccine). Some doses may be available by the end of this year -- and more in 2021, but we do know that there will not be enough to cover the entire population of our state. In the absence of a vaccine, we must utilize the tools available to us: Wear a mask whenever you’re out; Avoid social interactions with those outside your household; Physically distance from others; and Wash your hands regularly. The Governor hopes that these vaccine developments will inspire Coloradans to renew our commitment to reduce our social interactions. This virus is more prevalent than it’s ever been before in our state and nation. It can be difficult to harness the energy to continue doing your part by using the tools at our disposal outlined above, but we must buckle down and successfully reduce our social interactions. ALARMING TRENDS Over these last few weeks, we have continued to see alarming COVID trends here in Colorado and across the country. Our case numbers are rising and we’ve surpassed spring hospitalization levels. There are more COVID infections circulating in our communities now than there were in the spring; more than 1 out of every 100 people in Denver are contagious with COVID-19. Last week, the Governor encouraged Coloradans to do three important things: Avoid all social interactions with people outside of your household for the month of November: Cancel your social plans. This small inconvenience now could mean saving the lives of your friends and family. Wear a mask: Coloradans know that mask wearing is critical to changing these trends and moving forward. Stay 6 feet apart from others: Keep your distance even when you’re wearing a mask. Our COVID response is only as good as Coloradans’ ability to take personal responsibility. We now have the highest levels of COVID-19 we have ever had in Colorado. It’s time to step up to stop these trends. If we can save one life, it will be worth it. LOCAL VS. STATEWIDE ACTION With cases and hospitalizations on the rise, many Coloradans are wondering why the State of Colorado has not issued another Stay-At-Home order. Stay-At-Home is a last resort to prevent significant loss of life. There are some major differences between the tools we have now and the tools we had in March. Each community in Colorado is experiencing this pandemic differently. What’s happening in Denver County is different than what’s happening in Jackson County. In March, a one-size fits all approach was the best option available to save lives and get a handle on the virus, but we now have the Dial Framework in place that allows us to work with each county and support them in addressing their specific needs. We have extraordinary leaders in our local governments who are making very difficult decisions right now. The Governor today highlighted some recent examples of tough decisions that had to be made at the county-level: Summit and Adams County implemented a 10 p.m. curfew. Denver asked residents to be home by 10 p.m., and also asked residents to only interact with members of their own household for the month of November. Many other counties have taken nuanced measures responsive to the issues in their communities, like restricting spectators at youth sports or surging testing in disproportionately impacted communities. BETTER STATEWIDE TOOLS TO HELP FIGHT COVID Governor Polis emphasized that progress has been made in preventing and treating the virus, and in October, the Governor submitted Colorado's COVID-19 vaccine plan to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Leveraging public-private partnerships, the State has ramped up our testing capacity, PPE supplies, and hospital capacity across Colorado to improve our ability to respond to COVID-19. As a result, we are much better equipped to respond to this pandemic than we were in March. TESTING UPDATE Back in March, Colorado’s testing capability stood at 160 tests processed per day in the state lab. That’s why the Governor was proud to announce that the State Lab shattered their own record and performed more than 8,700 tests in one day! And capacity is growing everyday -- currently, state lab and private partners are able to test a total of 38,000 Coloradans per day. The State of Colorado is also proud to announce a partnership with Curative to increase testing in long-term care facilities and rural communities with testing kiosks, and will work with both Curative and Mako to launch testing vans: Testing Kiosks (Curative) Currently being deployed Current locations: UNC Greeley (students, staff, community members) Denver International Airport (employees) The test is self-administered, free, quick, and easy: Patient swabs inside of their cheek and roof of their mouth. Once complete, patient seals their test in a secure container and returns it to a lab. The State has plans to deploy 8 more kiosks across the state. Testing Vans (Curative and Mako) In the planning stages Testing vans will drive to hot spots across the state. This is another dynamic tool that will be used to reach the hardest-hit communities. Including building up our rapid testing ability, we will use every tool we have to make a difference in finding positive cases and stopping transmission. As always, if you have any symptoms or think you may have been exposed, you can get a free, quick, and easy test. You can find a testing site near you at covid19.colorado.gov/testing. PPE SUPPLIES In the spring, Colorado was competing with other states and our own federal government to get medical supplies to first responders and frontline medical staff. Over the last 10 months -- in the absence of leadership from the federal government -- we have forged relationships with companies and other local governments in order to secure the PPE we need to effectively respond to this virus. In March, we had less than 300,000 N-95 masks and no KN-95 masks. Today we have: 9.7 million KN-95 masks; 640,000 N-95 masks; Over 10 million surgical masks; Over 3 million face shields; and Over 1.2 million gowns. The State has also entered into long-term contracts with major manufacturers to provide monthly deliveries of PPE to the state, and is proactively working with local public health partners to identify more ways to support our communities. HOSPITAL CAPACITY In response to the trend of rising hospitalizations, the State is working closely with our hospital partners to rapidly scale up capacity. Here are some updates: Due to improvements in clinical management of COVID, the average length of stay in a hospital has decreased by about one to two days. A shorter hospital stay means that beds become available more quickly and hospitals can treat more patients. This week, a Statewide Transfer Center was launched by the Hospital Association Enables rapid coordination between hospitals to notify and fully utilize every single bed in the state. The State is preparing for surge capacity by: Activating St. Mary Corwin and St. Anthony’s on 84th to provide a safe place for people to recover before returning to nursing homes. If needed, activating the Colorado Convention Center as a field hospital. INCREASED KNOWLEDGE OF THE VIRUS We all know more about this virus right now than we did 10 months ago, and we are consistently working to update safety guidelines and restrictions around data and science: We know there is a higher risk of contracting the virus indoors: This is why the statewide mask order pertains to mask-wearing indoors, and why the State is working with our local restaurants to encourage outdoor dining -- even throughout the winter. Coloradans know the tools they can use to protect themselves and those around them: Mask wearing Physical distancing Washing your hands Coloradans know what to do, because they have done it before: Smaller jumps in cases after the 4th of July and after Labor Day These spikes were easier to get under control because Coloradans understand how to slow the spread of COVID-19. The single biggest risk is not where you go, but who you go with. Unlike in March, now we all know how not to get the virus— you avoid interacting with people outside your household, you wear a mask while in the company of people outside your household especially indoors, and you wash your hands frequently. We just need to have the will and discipline to minimize our exposure risk. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ 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]