November 2020 CO EXPOSURE NOTIFICATIONS Yesterday, Colorado saw it’s highest number of new positive cases of COVID-19 reported in a single day: 6,439. These numbers continue trending in the wrong direction: 1 out of every 110 Coloradans are now contagious with COVID-19. This is statewide. Some communities have more community spread than others for example in Adams County 1 in 58 have COVID, and in Denver, it's 1 in 64 people. Despite these alarming trends, Governor Polis was able to share some good news with Coloradans today. Last month, the Colorado Exposure Notification technology went live on all Android and Apple phones, and the State is proud to announce that more than one million Coloradans have opted in to receive these notifications -- that’s over 17% of the entire state’s population. Now, we’d like to see another million opt-in! Here’s why: The most recent research models from Oxford University suggest that at only 15% adoption, regions could see an 8% reduction in infections and 6% reduction in deaths. We are now beyond that 15%. As adoption increases, we increase our potential to see even greater impact made. This new tool is a fully secure and private way to stop transmission before it starts. To reduce the burden on local public health agencies, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and our Office of Information and Technology quickly stood up a new process that will now text a one-time verification code directly to all people with confirmed positive test results that arrive into the state information system. When the process was automated on November 9, CDPHE was able to send an average of 20 verification codes per day. Today, they are able to send on average, over 5,000 codes. To prevent business closures, school closures, or further restrictions, we must leverage every tool we have to the fullest extent, and Exposure Notifications. The more Coloradans who opt-in, the more effective this tool becomes. Whether you’re Team Android or iPhone, the Governor encourages every Coloradan to visit AddYourPhone.com to learn more and opt-in. EOC OPERATIONS In response to increasing cases of COVID-19 across the state, Governor Polis today ordered the State Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to return to level 1. This is the highest level of operation, and activates all state agencies, federal partners and the volunteer organizations that serve our communities in crisis. To put this in perspective, the EOC was on Level 1 from March 1 to June 1, 2020, during the Spring wave of virus. At Level 1, the EOC can better coordinate and synchronize the State’s response to the pandemic. HOSPITAL SURGE CAPACITY What is surge capacity? Surge capacity is essentially the ability of our healthcare system to manage a sudden influx of patients. The worst case scenario is that so many Coloradans get sick that we will not have enough beds or staff to provide care, and as a result, more Coloradans lose their lives. That’s why today, Governor Polis announced that he will issue an Executive Order that clarifies the order of operations for surging hospital capacity in the state. It is essential that in all parts of our state, we have the surge capacity to meet increasing demand by following the order of operations: Hospitals increase their capacity internally by opening up unused space and augmenting their staffing. Hospitals must scale back elective procedures, if further capacity is needed. The State of Colorado will support CHA to address the Interhospital Transfer System, if patient load continues to surge after steps outlined above. Alternative care sites will be used as a tool of last resort. Hospitals need to exhaust all of their resources before alternative care sites are utilized. This Order directs all general hospitals to submit a plan to the state with their maximum surge bed count by November 18, and a complete surge plan to CDPHE by November 20th, 2020, and must include: A detailed plan to potentially increase bed capacity by at least 50% and provide staffing and medical equipment for such increase; Strategies to increase the number of ICU beds by transitioning medical and surgical beds to ICU beds if needed; A detailed staffing plan, sufficient to provide adequate care for all beds, including those in use or available to patients other than COVID-19 patients; and A mandate for elective procedures to be actively managed, reduced and/or delayed, if there is a surge of COVID-19 infections in the county or municipality where the Facility is located. Additionally, the Order directs that all hospitals report the following at 10:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. each day: The maximum number of staffed ICU beds that can be made available for patients in need of ICU level care; and The maximum number of staffed medical and surgical beds available for non-ICU hospitalization. The State is encouraging hospitals and medical providers to continue utilizing telehealth and virtual visits as much as possible. Under the current public health order, hospitals that are at more than 70% capacity or have less than a two-week supply of PPE must actively manage their elective procedures to ensure they have adequate capacity for a surge of patients. This has been Colorado law since July. The State plans to update these executive orders and public health orders -- and go a step further by making it clear that hospitals experiencing stress and strain must begin a mandatory scale back of elective procedures in anticipation for a surge of patients in the coming weeks. SURGE STAFFING The State of Colorado has also activated medical workforce staffing contracts through the State Emergency Operations Center in order to assist with medical surge needs: These medical professionals will initially support state agencies providing services to vulnerable populations. They may also be used to support hospitals experiencing staff shortage or our alternative care sites if needed. The State will continue to pursue additional staff augmentation efforts as many providers are reporting staffing shortages. ALTERNATIVE CARE SITES Alternative Care Sites will be mobilized as a last resort. We hope we never have to use these facilities but are prepared to activate them if necessary, and continue to monitor the situation daily to see if the activation of these sites is needed. There are three sites in Colorado that can be utilized if needed: the Colorado Convention Center, St. Mary Corwin in Pueblo, and St Anthony North Family Medicine on 84th in Westminster. The Colorado Convention Center in Denver can open with 80 beds and expand to 2000 beds within five weeks. St. Mary Corwin in Pueblo has 25 beds and will receive COVID-19 positive individuals from long term care facilities. It can expand to 240 beds. St. Anthony facility in Westminster can open with 25 beds for COVID-19 individuals from long term care facilities. It can expand to 78 beds. STAYING SAFE OVER THE HOLIDAYS As we approach the holiday season, it’s critical that Coloradans only interact with members of their own households because we are at a breaking point in Colorado. The safest and best option to protect you, your loved ones and Colorado as a whole, is to have Thanksgiving dinner with those who you live with and avoid traveling. While we know that nothing can replace having a meal with your family, the best thing you can do is to connect with them virtually. If you must interact with those outside of your home, here are the safest ways to do it: Quarantine for at least 10 days and ideally 14 days before seeing your family or friends; and Quarantine for 14 days after you see them. So, if that is your plan for Thanksgiving, it is recommended that you start quarantining today. Coloradans should also remember to: Wear a mask; Keep at least 6 feet from others; Wash hands frequently; and Order Thanksgiving groceries online, if possible. COVID CHECK COLORADO Governor Polis today announced a new partnership with COVIDCheck Colorado, part of Gary Community Investments, launched seven testing sites around the metro area that are now open to the general public. At these sites, licensed medical staff administer nasal swab PCR tests. COVIDCheck Colorado partners with multiple labs to process these tests. Testing is a critical part of slowing the spread of this virus and these additional options for Coloradans will make it that much easier to get tested. If you think you have been exposed or are experiencing symptoms, find a testing location near you at covid19.colorado.gov/testing or visit one of the following locations: All City Stadium 1495 S. Race Street, Denver, CO, USA Cherry Creek High School 4700 S. Yosemite Street, Greenwood Village, CO, USA Instructional Support Facility 5416 S. Riviera Way Aurora, CO 80015 North High School 3125 Eliot Street, Denver, CO 80211 Mountain Range High 12500 Huron Street Westminster, CO 80234 St. Vrain Valley Schools Innovation Center 33 Quail Road, Longmont, CO 80504. Aurora Public Schools Professional Learning Center 5771 E. 1st Ave, Aurora, CO 80011 To make the process even quicker and easier at a COVID Check testing site, pre-register at covidcheckcolorado.org. The average wait time is 2-3 days. BINAXNOW TEST DISTRIBUTION Today, Governor Polis announced that we have now distributed approximately 400,000 Abbot BinaxNOW tests to 51 partners across the state including Local Public Health Agencies, community health centers, State Agencies, and to other congregate settings, including to people experiencing homelessness and schools. The Abbott BinaxNOW test is a rapid antigen point-of-care test that uses a card and a nasal swab to diagnose an active COVID-19 infection: Tests can provide results within about 15 minutes of administering the test, which is critical in the effort to minimize disease transmission. Unlike many COVID-19 tests, the Abbott BinaxNOW tests do not require any additional tools, machines, or resources to process. These are not as accurate as the gold standard PCR tests, but even with a lower accuracy rate, the BINAX test is 97% sensitive when used on symptomatic people. The State is currently implementing usage of these tests for repetitive screening in 24/7 facilities, and hopes to make them widely available to essential workers, such as teachers and other frontline workers. THE BIG THREE This virus is as serious as it’s ever been, so now is the time for Coloradans to show their resolve by following the Big Three in November: Do not interact with other households throughout the rest of the month, protect your vulnerable and elderly family members by self-quarantining before Thanksgiving. Wear a mask. Physically distance yourself. Our numbers will continue to get worse if nothing is done to change course, and if we continue to see our family and friends against public health recommendations. This will not go on forever, but with the holidays fast approaching, we must all continue to do our part to stop the spread in Colorado. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ 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]