Moffat County Public Health Nurse Olivia Scheele (right) administers a Moderna COVID-19 vaccination at Sandrock Ridge Care and Rehab in late December 2020.
COVID-19 isn’t going away in Moffat County, and the county’s health department is trying to slow the toll it’s been taking on lives in the region.
Citing the Centers for Disease Control, a release from the health department lists again the comorbidities and conditions that increase risk of severe illness or death from contracting the disease.
It also gently recommends Moffat County residents get the vaccine.
“Many comorbidities and conditions make it more likely that a person who contracts COVID-19 will have severe symptoms, require hospitalization or die,” the release reads. “It is particularly important for those with any of these risk factors to take precautions to avoid contracting the virus as well as consider vaccination.”
Moffat County Public Health Nurse Olivia Scheele (right) administers a Moderna COVID-19 vaccination at Sandrock Ridge Care and Rehab in late December 2020. (Courtesy Photo / Moffat County Public Health)
While the state of Colorado will receive much less in vaccines in the second major rollout than expected, Moffat County continues to roll along vaccinating community members with the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.
As of Friday, Jan. 14, Moffat County is reporting it has vaccinated 1,174 people between its three medical entities in Memorial Regional Health, Moffat County Public Health, and Northwest Colorado Health.
According to a report from Public Health, MRH has administered 611 vaccines, Public Health has administered 408 vaccines, and Northwest Colorado Health has administered 156 vaccines. The majority of vaccines administered have been to those who are over the age of 70.
Moffat County is currently seeing a downward trend in COVID-19 cases as the community has seen 34 new cases dating back to Tuesday, Dec. 29, according to Public Health.
In total, Moffat County has 672 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the community, with 26 of those cases currently active.
Moffat County Coroner Jesse Arthurs confirmed that two more Moffat County residents – two men in their 70s – have died due to COVID-19. One death occurred last week, and one death occurred this week. Both individuals were transferred from Memorial Regional Health to other facilities due to the severity of their illnesses.
“When you take precautions to avoid contracting or transmitting this virus, you can save a life. That life could be your own, or someone who means a lot to you,” said Kari Ladrow, Moffat County’s Public Health Director.
Sandrock Ridge Care and Rehab was cited for a number of Infection Prevention & Control citations during a Nov. 18, 2020 Federal Infection Control Focused Survey inside the facility, according to a recent report from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE).
The citation report states that Sandrock Ridge Care and Rehab “failed to properly maintain an infection control program designed to prevent the spread of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) in three of the four hallways.” Sandrock was also cited for failing to ensure staff and residents were using proper hand hygiene, wearing proper face coverings at all times; failing to properly educate newly-hired staff regarding COVID-19 infection control, and failing to ensure cross-contamination practices in shared spaces.
Public Health sees COVID cases rise to 563 total in Moffat County
Public Health also announces Sandrock Ridge Care and Rehab received infection control procedures following Federal Infection Control Focused Survey
Craig Press Staff
Moffat County Public Health is reporting 107 new cases of COVID-19 in the county since Tuesday, Dec. 8. In addition to the 107 news cases, the Moffat County Coroner confirmed that another resident at Sandrock Ridge Care and Rehab died due to COVID-19.
As of Thursday, Dec. 17, the total number of deaths in Moffat County related to COVID-19 is 20. Of these 20 deaths, COVID-19 was listed as the cause of death in 18 people, while the other two deaths were people who were positive for COVID-19 at the time of their death, but COVID-19 was not listed as the cause of death.