March 5, 2020
What Grand County is doing to be prepared for the Novel Coronavirus.
Even though there have been no cases of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Grand County or Colorado, and though the immediate risk to most people is low, Grand County Public Health, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) and our health and medical partners are prepared.
Since the start of the outbreak, Grand County has been taking a proactive approach working closely with CDC, CDPHE and other partners to:
- Provide timely and accurate information about the outbreak to our community.
- Share guidance with health care providers so they know how to safely care for people with possible COVID-19 infection.
- Support local hospitals and other health and medical partners with requests for information, resources, and logistics.
- Actively monitor the situation and refine our response and recovery plans to minimize the impact of COVID-19 should it occur in our community.
Grand County Public Health maintains a Public Health Emergency Operations Plan. The Grand County Office of Emergency Management maintains a County-wide all-hazards Emergency Operations Plan, which states that Grand County will utilize the incident command system to allow for enhanced and coordinated response efforts and acquire resources and supplies.
To stay updated visit the Grand County Public Health webpage or follow Grand County Public Health, Grand County Office of Emergency Management, and CDPHE on Facebook.
February 28, 2020
Novel Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19)
Grand County Public Health is working closely with Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) and the Centers of Disease Control (CDC) to monitor progress and risk of the novel coronavirus that was first detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China.
Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that are associated with a respiratory illness that results in fever, cough and shortness of breath. These viruses spread through coughing or sneezing, much like the flu.
Some coronaviruses are common and regularly cause illness in the U.S. in the fall and winter. There are many types of coronaviruses currently circulating in Colorado and the U.S. that cause respiratory illness. These illnesses are NOT COVID-19. Symptoms appear within 2-14 days after exposure.
We do not know yet how severe 2019 Novel Coronavirus is compared to other coronaviruses or how easily it can spread between humans.
There has been limited person to person transmission in the United States. People who have had close contact with someone with a confirmed diagnosis of 2019 novel coronavirus persons are at greater risk of infection.
Currently, in Colorado there are NO cases of COVID-19. The risk for Coloradans is low at this time.
People who are at the greatest risk for this virus are:
- People who recently traveled from China
- Close contact with people that have been diagnosed with COVID-19.
As with other respiratory viruses, it is recommended that people protect themselves and others by practicing everyday actions:
- Wash hands frequently with soap and water or alcohol-based hand rub when soap and water is not available.
- Cover your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing.
- Avoid close contact with anyone that is experiencing symptoms of illness.
- Stay home if you are sick.
- Avoid touching your face.
To get the most up to date information about this event, you can look at: