The Yuma County Commissioners recently took action in lifting the mask mandate in the county, but with some exceptions still in place.
The commissioners — Trent Bushner, Robin Wiley and Scott Weaver — took the action during the April 15 meeting.
The mask restrictions already had been lifted earlier in April when Yuma County was moved to Level Green. However, the state soon after evolved the statewide COVID-19 dial to a public health order, allowing counties to implement regulations at the local level.
County Administrator Andrea Calhoon said it was thought there was no need to take action at the local level, since mask restrictions had been lifted to a degree. However, the county noticed surrounding counties taking action, so Yuma County reached out to the Northeast Colorado Health Department, which advised that the county should actively lift it.
Therefore, a resolution was passed by the commissioners. It lifts local COVID restrictions, except those required by the state.
In all counties, medical or non-medical cloth face coverings that cover the nose and mouth are required to be worn by individuals age eleven (11) and older when entering or within the following public and private settings: Preschool through grade 12 schools (including extracurricular activities), child care centers and services, and indoor children’s camps; Public areas of state government facilities, and areas in state government facilities where members of the public come into contact with state government employees; Congregate care facilities, including nursing facilities, assisted living residences, intermediate care facilities, and group homes;
Prisons;
Jails;
Emergency medical and other healthcare settings (including hospitals, ambulance service centers, urgent care centers, non-ambulatory surgical structures, clinics, doctors’ offices, and non-urgent care medical structures);
Personal services, as defined by Public Health Order (PHO) 20-36; and; Limited healthcare settings, as defined by PHO 20-36.
Cases rising
At the same time, COVID-19 cases are slightly ticking upwards in Yuma County.
As of the April 28 update on the COVID-19 Dial at nchd.org, Yuma County had 13 new cases, an increase of eight over the previous seven days. The county’s estimated active cases had increased to 25, which is still far below what it had been for several months.
There had been 312 new tests over seven days, with a test positivity rate of 3.9 percent, which was an increase of 2.6 percent.
Phillips County surged in new cases as of the April 28 dial update, increasing from 10 estimated active cases to 19, Washington County was at eight, and Sedgwick County dropped to four. Their populations are much lower than the YC’s.
Vaccinations
Beth Saxton, RN-CEO of Yuma District Hospital and Clinics, reported that patients still are calling in, or sending in registrations, for the COVID-19 vaccination, but not at the same level as when the vaccine first became available.
She noted that she participated in a statewide vaccine call last Friday, and providers from all over were reported seeing a decline in vaccine participation.
YDHC offers the two-dose Moderna vaccination, 28 days apart. The facility was offering a vaccination clinic today, April 29.
Anyone 16 and above is eligible for the vaccine.
Overall in Yuma County, according to the data at nchd.org, a total of 3,065 residents has had at least one dose, and 2,345 of them are fully immunized. That represents 23.3 percent of the county’s 10,063 residents being fully immunized.
Washington County has 1,057 residents immunized with at least one dose, and 779 fully immunized, representing 16.09 percent of WashCo residents that are fully immunized.