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JCPH 2020 Annual Report

It’s hard to believe we are already a quarter of the way into 2021 — last year was challenging and brought difficulties for our community and for each of us as individuals. While we may feel a wide range of things when we think of 2020, here at JCPH, we have our annual Report to the Community to trace the steps taken.
 
The 2020 Report to the Community theme, United Against COVID-19, focuses on the actions taken by Jefferson County emergency response staff, including those around contact tracing, testing, vaccine distribution, supporting the business community, providing mental wellness resources and support, outreach to vulnerable populations in our community and more. The front and back cover of the report feature photos of JCPH employees, since surviving the pandemic would not have been possible without their hard work and dedication. The report also features letters from department leadership, an “Impact by the Numbers” section, messages of gratitude, department overviews, a financial report and a comprehensive COVID-19 timeline.

Please join us in reflecting on the last year of pandemic efforts by viewing the 2020 Report to the Community.

JCPH Issues Local Public Health Order 21-001

On April 13, JCPH issued a new public health order (PHO 21-001) to help guide the county through the recovery phase of the COVID-19 pandemic and into a full reopening. The order was issued to help our community bridge through the next stages of the pandemic, as the State of Colorado dissolved Executive Order PHO 20-36 and the Dial 3.0 on April 16, and counties are now expected to implement their own tailored strategies to meet their community’s needs. Under the new PHO, there are two phases to reopening:

• Phase 1 – Moving Toward a Full Reopening (April 16-May 15): Businesses and individuals can operate under Dial 3.0’s Level Blue capacity limits and simplified mitigation requirements for 30 days. There will be no movement during this 30-day period.
• Phase 2 – Observation Period (May 16-August 15): Jefferson County, along with other Metro Denver counties, will move to a new Level on the Dial — Level Clear — which has no restrictions. In Level Clear, businesses will operate at 100 percent capacity with no mitigation requirements, although indoor mask requirements may still apply. During the observation period, rather than focusing on incidence rates or test positivity rates, JCPH will closely monitor hospitalizations, a health metric indicative of severity of COVID-19 infections. It is expected that by late May vaccination coverage should be sufficient to control COVID-19 transmission in Jeffco. However, if needed, JCPH can apply capacity limits based on hospitalization rates as described in the order. 

 
JCPH’s local mask order, PHO 20-008, remains in effect and all residents and visitors in Jefferson County must continue to wear a mask in indoor public spaces when 6 ft. distancing cannot be maintained from non-household members. In areas where the statewide mask order is more restrictive, individuals must follow those requirements.
 
For information about JCPH’s local mask order, COVID-19 data, testing locations and vaccination information, visit www.jeffco.us/coronavirus. 

Importance of COVID-19 Testing

As we continue to see COVID-19 spreading in our community, and especially as more people receive their vaccine and return to higher levels of activity, it’s important to remember to get tested for COVID-19 if you show any symptoms or if you have been exposed to someone with the virus. For a full list of places to get tested in Jeffco, please visit www.jeffco.us/testing.

NEW Posts up on JCPH’s Blog Series, Resilience

Have you checked out Resilience yet? Find topics related to mental health and coping during COVID-19. Monthly resources are shared in Spanish and English. See posts on work from home rituals, joy, sleep, creating healthy patterns, gratitude and more. Follow along to see the new posts. Read more.

DATA ROUNDUP: COVID-19 Case Summary

As we work to lessen the spread of COVID-19 in Jefferson County, you can stay up to date on COVID-19 data. Click here for a summary at the state level. Click here for our newly updated data dashboard with information on COVID-19 in Jefferson County.

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Join the conversation! Follow Jefferson County Public Health on Facebook at @jeffcopublichealth and on Twitter and Instagram at @jeffcoph. Visit our website at www.jeffco.us/public-health.