Garfield County increased the total number of COVID-19 cases to eight Monday, following a new method of calculating the number of cases without confirmed tests.
A sixth case of lab-tested COVID-19 was confirmed in Garfield County over the weekend, but with the lack of available tests, the state Department of Public Health and the Environment is changing how they track cases.
The two probable cases, which bring the total number of COVID-19 cases to eight, were cases of individuals exhibiting symptoms who had contact with lab-confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus.
“This new format, which will initially show a jump in COVID-19 cases in Garfield County, assumes that symptomatic individuals who have had close contact with people that have lab-confirmed COVID-19, also have COVID-19,” the Department of Public Health said in a press release.
Tests for COVID-19 are not being done for individuals who have manageable symptoms.
“In general, there are no COVID-19 tests being administered to individuals with mild or manageable COVID-19 symptoms at this time,” according to the news release.
County health officials ask people to assume that the new coronavirus is spreading through the community, but the county will not release the town where persons have tested positive to protect the private health information of COVID-19 patients.
People with symptoms should self-isolate and manage their symptoms, and call the bilingual Aspen to Parachute COVID-19 hotline with any questions at 970-429-6186.