Photo by Jason Connolly / Daily Summit Archives
Summit County reported 76 new cases and 12 hospitalizations for the new coronavirus during the week, according to the county’s coronavirus page.
The total number of cases now stands at 2,210 and 63 residents have been hospitalized since March 5. While 12 hospitalizations were added to the county’s database this week, the St. Anthony Summit Medical Center reported only nine hospitalizations between residents and non-residents that have since occurred Friday, January 1.
The remaining three hospitalizations can be traced to earlier dates, as the county sometimes confirms a patient’s COVID-19 positivity after he leaves the hospital.
Despite the increase in hospitalizations, which public health officials say is expected after an increase in cases, Summit County metrics on the COVID-19 dial remain promising.
According to the state control panel, Summit County was reporting 519.6 new cases per 100,000 people on Friday, January 8, representing a drop of 158.2 since last week. The number remains at the red level in the status display, however. To reach the orange level, the county would need to report 350 or fewer new cases per 100,000 inhabitants.
The municipality’s positivity rate, which is the percentage of positive tests in relation to the total of tests, is 7.5%, which represents an increase of 1.7% in relation to last week. However, the number remains at the yellow level in the status display.
The new hospitalizations have raised the county’s position on that metric from the green level to the yellow level. According to the panel, the county had 11 days of stable or declining hospitalizations, which is less than the 13 days reported last week.
Vaccines
First responders, health professionals and people aged 70 and over remain the only groups that can be vaccinated in Summit County.
At a Health Council meeting on Thursday, January 7, Director of Public Health Amy Wineland said the county expects to use all 800 doses distributed this week by the end of Sunday, January 10.
The county expects to receive 975 doses of the Pfizer vaccine for the week of Monday, January 11. The county will distribute these doses to pharmacies at City Markets in Breckenridge and Dillon and at Safeway Pharmacy in Frisco.
The remaining doses will go to the Summit Community Care Clinic and the public health department at its drive-thru event on Thursday, January 14.
People can sign up at SCAlert.org to be notified when there are new vaccine appointments. The county will post a link to arrange a meeting at SummitCountyCo.gov/vaccine when slots are available.
Outbreaks and school data
The Summit School District has not reported a class cohort quarantine since December 18. In an interview on Thursday, January 7, district spokesman Mikki Grebetz said the district started the second half without quarantine.
Summit County reported nine outbreaks at the following locations during the week:
- Three cases among lifting operations workers at Keystone Resort
- Two boxes at River Run rental operation at Keystone Resort
- Two cases in sales of Keystone SS products
- Nine cases of a social gathering in Copper Mountain
- Six boxes in Perfect Service Cleaning
- Two boxes in Silverthorne Isolation Division 7
- Two boxes at the Dillon Dam Brewery in Dillon
- Two boxes at the Grand Timber Lodge in Breckenridge
- Two cases at Wells Fargo in Frisco