{"id":1319522,"date":"2020-04-18T14:59:22","date_gmt":"2020-04-18T20:59:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vaildaily.com\/?p=476889"},"modified":"2020-04-19T06:26:01","modified_gmt":"2020-04-19T12:26:01","slug":"eagle-county-seeking-partial-relief-from-colorado-stay-at-home-orders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/local-news\/eagle-county-seeking-partial-relief-from-colorado-stay-at-home-orders\/","title":{"rendered":"Eagle County seeking partial relief from Colorado stay-at-home orders"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Eagle County is <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Asking the state for permission (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.eaglecounty.us\/PublicHealth\/Documents\/CDPHE_Exemption_Request\/\" target=\"_blank\">asking the state for permission<\/a><i class=\"fas fa-external-link-alt\"><\/i> to reopen businesses and outdoor recreation areas that can meet social distancing requirements. Heath Harmon, local public health director, said Saturday that the Vail Valley has now reached a level where everyone who has COVID-19 symptoms can get a test.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Availability of tests is key to making such a request, according to the&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"National Coronavirus Response, A Road Map to Reopening (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aei.org\/research-products\/report\/national-coronavirus-response-a-road-map-to-reopening\/\" target=\"_blank\">National Coronavirus Response, A Road Map to Reopening<\/a><i class=\"fas fa-external-link-alt\"><\/i> \u2014 a document on which Eagle County and other areas around the state are basing their plans for reopening.<\/p>\n<p>During the past week, Harmon said commercial labs were able to work through a backlog of tests, and results are now coming back consistently within 24 to 48 hours. That, along with the fact that local health providers now have full access to testing for anyone who shows symptoms in Eagle County, means the county has now met the requirements to trigger the relief request, Harmon said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Now that Eagle County has seen a sustained decrease in COVID-19 cases for at least 14 days, Harmon said the community will receive greater health benefits from incrementally loosening restrictions.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col\">\n<div class=\"row vail-donation vail-donation-mobile p-0\">\n<div class=\"col-xl-4 p-2\">\n<div data-bg=\"url(https:\/\/cdn.vaildaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/03\/VD-logo-white.png)\" class=\"p-0 mt-2 mb-2 h-75 text-center rocket-lazyload\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.vaildaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/03\/VD-logo-white.png\" class=\"logo m-0 p-0 invisible\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-bg=\"url(https:\/\/cdn.vaildaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/03\/vail-banner-paypal.jpg)\" class=\"col-xl-8 p-3 text-center rocket-lazyload\">\n<h3 class=\"d-inline mr-3\">Support Local Journalism<\/h3>\n<p><button class=\"btn d-inline\" type=\"button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vaildaily.com\/donate\/?utm_source=article&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_campaign=donation&amp;utm_term=&amp;utm_content=mid-article\">Donate<\/a><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cLet\u2019s face it, economically we can also see longer-term public health concerns, behavioral health concerns, as well,\u201d Harmon said. \u201cSo what we\u2019re really trying to do is measure the risk in the community with the fact that the spread of the disease has slowed down so much.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Harmon likened it to taking a step forward as a community.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe want people to be able to get a paycheck again. We want to make sure that people can pay their rent again, pay their mortgages again. We want those businesses where people are employed to slowly be able to open up again, still implementing those social distancing requirements,\u201d Harmon said. \u201cAnd find the balance and the benefits that relate to the disease in the community, the economic pieces for each of us as residents in the community, as well as our behavioral health needs as a community.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Following the roadmap<\/h2>\n<p>Harmon said a lot of local public health officials have looked to the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.aei.org\/research-products\/report\/national-coronavirus-response-a-road-map-to-reopening\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">National Coronavirus Response, A Road Map to Reopening<\/a><i class=\"fas fa-external-link-alt\"><\/i> document in preparing their plans for reopening.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve been on calls all this week with folks across the state. \u2026 We all realized that these are important pieces before we even think about reopening, that these things need to be in place, these triggers need to be met at that local levels,\u201d Harmon said, in reference to the document\u2019s \u201ctrigger for moving to Phase II.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The document suggests states begin Phase II \u2014 in which a majority of schools and businesses can reopen with limitations to keep people from congregating in close proximity \u2014 once the following provisions are achieved:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A sustained reduction in cases for at least 14 days.<\/li>\n<li>Hospitals in the state are safely able to treat all patients requiring hospitalization without resorting to crisis standards of care.<\/li>\n<li>The state is able to test all people with COVID-19 symptoms.<\/li>\n<li>The state is able to conduct active monitoring of confirmed cases and their contacts.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Harmon said that in Eagle County, the provisions for moving to Phase II are now being met and positive cases have seen sustained reduction despite the fact that testing has expanded, thanks in part to a mobile testing unit that has been visiting low-income areas.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve been expanding testing, both in the Eagle Valley and the Roaring Fork Valley,\u201d Harmon said. \u201cThe testing we\u2019re making more available in areas it may not have been as accessible previously. So the testing volume, because of those outreaches, is probably no different than it was two weeks ago.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Get tested right away<\/h2>\n<p>Harmon\u2019s request also asks permission to increase the size of permissible gatherings in Eagle County from zero to 10.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe want people to be able to recreate. We just also want to make sure that people are not in large groups and gatherings when they\u2019re doing that,\u201d Harmon said. \u201cI think getting outside is one thing that we continue to want to stress. We just need to do that in a socially distanced way.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Harmon said regardless of the outcome of his request to the state, people who have symptoms will need to get tested quickly in order to keep reducing the spread, and Eagle County residents can now expect to have COVID-19 testing available to anyone who needs them in the coming months.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re hoping to make sure that we have that capacity. That\u2019s what we\u2019re building, and we\u2019re working with our medical community to be able to do that,\u201d he said. \u201cVail Health has been an incredible partner all along the way to be able to test more rapidly than what we\u2019ve seen in other communities, and so right now we\u2019re wanting to make sure first and foremost that the public understands that there\u2019s an individual responsibility here. If you\u2019re developing symptoms consistent with COVID-19, we really want you to get in for testing within 48 hours.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Response next week<\/h2>\n<p>The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is expected to respond early next week to Eagle County\u2019s request. Local officials say the response could include approval, denial or suggested changes.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eaglecounty.us\/PublicHealth\/News\/Eagle_County_seeks_partial_relief_from_Colorado_stay-at-home_orders\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">A statement from Eagle County<\/a><i class=\"fas fa-external-link-alt\"><\/i> issued on Saturday said the board of commissioners was in full support of the request, and Commissioner Kathy Chandler-Henry said public health and economic health are intrinsically tied.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs we look at changing our public health orders, we must do so in a manner that keeps our health a top priority,\u201d she said. \u201cWe will need the community\u2019s help in striking the right balance of reopening and caution.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Commissioner Matt Scherr said thousands of families are living with risks to their food, shelter, and physical and mental health because they have lost their jobs.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGiving them an opportunity to earn a paycheck will be paramount to improving their families\u2019 stability, reducing anxiety and depression, and starting our community down the road to recovery,\u201d Scherr said.<\/p>\n<p>Eagle County Public Health is sharing local data, including case counts, hospitalizations and more, through its&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/datastudio.google.com\/u\/0\/reporting\/1ddB1kq5h6QjTk77HltHKnho8GHnvk85e\/page\/plbIB\" target=\"_blank\">Eagle County COVID-19 Monitoring dashboard<\/a><i class=\"fas fa-external-link-alt\"><\/i>. Additional information is available at&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"http:\/\/www.ecemergency.org\/\" target=\"_blank\">ECEmergency.org<\/a><i class=\"fas fa-external-link-alt\"><\/i>&nbsp;and by following One Valley Voice at&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/onevalleyvoice\/\" target=\"_blank\">facebook.com\/OneValleyVoice<\/a><i class=\"fas fa-external-link-alt\"><\/i>.<\/p>\n<p>Residents may also email&nbsp;<a href=\"mailto:CovidQuestions@eaglecounty.us\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">CovidQuestions@eaglecounty.us<\/a><i class=\"fas fa-external-link-alt\"><\/i>&nbsp;or call 970-328-9750 with questions.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vaildaily.com\/news\/eagle-county-seeking-partial-relief-from-stay-at-home-orders\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">via:: Vail Daily<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Eagle County is asking the state for permission to reopen businesses and outdoor recreation areas that can meet social distancing requirements. Heath Harmon, local public health director, said Saturday that the Vail Valley has now reached a level where everyone who has COVID-19 symptoms can get a test.&nbsp; Availability of tests is key to making [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[160],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1319522","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-local-news"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-09-04 01:54:20","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KSKE Ski Country","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1319522","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1319522"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1319522\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1319523,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1319522\/revisions\/1319523"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1319522"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1319522"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1319522"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}