DENVER (KDVR) — The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) has a draft for new framework to determine what level of restrictions a county is placed in and is looking for feedback on these changes.
The current COVID-19 dial has six different levels with varying factors that decide which level each county is placed. Officials say they met with several different departments to create a framework more responsive to local conditions.
“The Dial has been a useful tool in helping us to manage our response to the pandemic, but it needs to be updated based on lessons learned over the past five months,” Dr. John Douglas, Executive Director of Tri County Health Department said.
With the rollout of the vaccine to frontline healthcare workers and Coloradans age 70 and up, the state is adjusting the dial to reflect easing restrictions to open the economy back up.
“Coloradans have made significant sacrifices to reduce disease transmission, so it is time to update the dial to reflect this reality, plus the increasing number of people who are immunized,” Jill Hunsaker Ryan, CDPHE Executive Director said.
“This updated proposal is based on Colorado’s disease and vaccination rates, plus input from local public health agencies and local governments, and we are seeking the public’s help to refine it further.”
Draft changes include:
- An increase in the range of incidence metrics for all colors to better balance disease suppression with economic hardship, while preventing a breach in hospital capacity.
- Moving to a 7-day metric of incidence rate, percent positivity of testing, and hospitalizations instead of a 14-day metric to more quickly respond to local conditions.
- Decreasing the metric requirement for testing positivity rates in the yellow and orange levels to continue to promote testing as an important disease containment strategy.
- Special consideration from CDPHE for counties under 20,000 population to determine the level on the dial, accounting for weekly variability in the percent positivity of tests and disease incidence rates.
CDPHE is requesting Coloradans view the updated Dial 2.0 version and offer feedback in order to reflect the current state of the pandemic. Respond before the deadline on Feb. 1 at 5:00 p.m.