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We appreciate the Governor’s recognition in his Executive Order that stricter local government orders already in place control over his Order. After reviewing the Executive Order, Gunnison County concludes that its Third Amended Public Health Order is consistent with, if not stricter than, the Governor’s Executive Order. Accordingly, under both the terms of Gunnison County’s Order and the Governor’s Executive Order, the Gunnison County Third Amended Public Health Order controls, and we will continue to operate under the terms of the County’s Order.

We are asking families to do the best they can in a very difficult situation. Gunnison County has community spread of the COVID19 virus. This virus can be passed by people who do not show symptoms. Given this situation and to protect our most vulnerable people and health care system, it is strongly recommended that families reduce social contact with other families. Consider your home and the people that live with you to be a small unit, like a small island. Keep that island as physically isolated as possible. Play dates, watching each-others kids, sleep-overs, teenagers hanging out together are all very risky activities for spreading the virus.

We currently have the highest case rate per 100k people in our county at 233. The state rate per 100k people is only at about 16. We have to remain vigilant in following the Public Health Orders and social distancing. Our community remains at risk as we are continuing to see critically ill patients at our hospital and across our State and Nation. As of this morning, we had 1 patient in the red and is being sent to St. Mary’s in Grand Junction. 2 patients are amber and are hospitalized but stable. 4 patients are green and at the hospital but improving. The virus is silent and easily transmitted. Collectively our Valley can keep this virus from spreading across our communities. We are scoring highly on this new data platform that uses cell phone location tracking to score each state and county on social distancing.

We do not have any plans to discourage backcountry use at this time, but we are asking all users to dial down their expectations and dial up their risk management. One way to think about your risk choices would be to ask yourself if you would feel totally fine doing what you are doing with no partner, no rescue equipment and no evacuation plan. You should not be relying on emergency services to provide a rescue during this pandemic.

We have now staffed a new call center for folks needing help with food and pharmaceutical deliveries. We ask that if you are healthy and able to pick up your own groceries to please do so. This opens up City Market’s online pick-up program for individuals who are at risk, over 60 years old, and/or symptomatic or otherwise self-isolating. Phones will be manned from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, 7 days a week. Call (970) 641-7959 if you need a volunteer to pick up the groceries you ordered through City Market’s Pick-up Program. Volunteers can also deliver prescriptions that are ready from the City Market or Walmart pharmacies. If you generally go to the Gunnison Country Food Pantry, you can call this hotline and order Food Pantry boxes. They will also help answer any delivery type questions you may have.

We unfortunately now have confirmation of a death associated with COVID-19. The individual was tested post mortem and we just received a positive result back after nine days.

Gunnison County on Saturday unveiled a 3rd amended Public Health Order to better clarify the previous order. The orders directly address folks who have traveled away and are coming home from spring break. Those that are coming back to high-density housing are ordered to quarantine for 7 days. Those returning to normal homes are strongly encouraged to quarantine for 7 days. Anyone who has traveled out of the County is strongly encouraged to self-isolate for 7 days. Clarifications can also be found for solo practitioners, operators of restaurants and bars, operators of laundromats, massage therapists, tattoo artists, disbursed campers, and more. Visit the website for a copy of the amended orders. If you still have general questions, please send them to callcenter@gunnisoncounty.org

We have heard reports about families getting their kids together for sleepovers. While we understand the hardship that closed schools and altered job schedules put on parents, we highly discourage parents from sending kids to sleepovers during this time. Children may not be symptomatic, but still could be carrying the virus. The sleepovers could cause spread back to the homes of parents and risk additional community spread.

Staff at Incident Command will be taking a day of rest on Sunday. We will have a skeleton crew in place just in case there is pressing information that needs to be pushed to the public. Do NOT look for 11am or 6pm updates tomorrow. We will resume normal updates on Monday.

The screening site hours will be from 10-12 each day it is in operation. The schedule has changed so that The Gunnison site will operate on Monday and Friday each week.

The Crested Butte site will begin operations in the Lodge at Mountaineer Square parking garage on Tuesday and Thursday each week.