Month in Review | November 2020 - Yellow Scene Magazine

Welcome to the latest COVID level red lockdown, there have been a few changes made and a new, purple level introduced.

Level red is now still serious, indicating areas of high risk and recommended stay at home, while some businesses will still be allowed to remain open with reduced capacity. Level purple is a more severe state and will indicate hospitals coming to capacity risks and most businesses needing to be closed. • It’s freeze season, with a couple of snow storms headed our way. As we head into colder temperatures, remember to start thinking about precautions you need to take to be prepared. Poor insulation and low temperatures can freeze your pipes, so make sure you are following the steps to prevent frozen, burst, and cracked pipes. • Two days before Boulder County entered the red level a new record was set, and not a good one. 98 new patients were hospitalized due to COVID in one single day, and the numbers are continuing to rise, with staffing shortages expected if we continue on this trajectory. • Boulder County is trying to make an effort to save energy and water, reduce pollution, and improve public health to help with pollution before it becomes unmanageable. Boulder County just received a $105,000 grant from the EPASRA, Environmental Protection Agency Source Reduction Assistance, to fund innovative, cost-effective, replicable source reduction approaches. • These horrific times have brought out some of the worst in people, such as rogue imposters acting as if they are COVID-19 contact tracers. It was found that two people have been going door-door-door posing as COVID-19 contact tracers and asking residents uncomfortable questions so be wary of random knocks. All contact with Boulder County Public Health is contactless. • Black Friday is approaching and Boulder County is here to make sure you don’t get involved in those Black Friday scams. When looking into off-brand websites with the hottest items and prices that seem too good to be true, they probably are, check the website, do research, and stay away from websites that include incorrect and misinformation on brands, stick to the business you know of. • Having children during this pandemic can be very challenging, especially with the opening of schools this year. It was found that K-12 schools are starting to see outbreaks, with three outbreaks seen in Boulder County.

SMALL TALK

“If we are not careful now, we risk plunging into the deep end of the dial, where hospitals are not able to serve everyone who needs care, whether they are COVID-19 patients or other types of patients. It’s up to all Coloradans to help our essential health care workers save lives”

– CDPHE Executive Director Jill Hunsaker Ryan, speaking on behalf of the new level purple

“Our health care workforce has been working day and night for months. We urge everyone who can to please stay home or in the great outdoors, and only with the people and pets you live with”

– Chana Goussetis, Boulder County Public Health Department spokesperson, on hitting new hospital records

“It really helps us…step into the area of design and manufacturing, an area where we haven’t really had programs to accelerate the growth of… the circular economy products. For us, that’s an important piece of achieving any zero waste goal down the road.”

– Tim Broderick, Boulder County Senior Sustainability Strategist, on Boulder County EPA funds

“Legitimate public health officials are going to contact you via phone, email, or letter, and they will already have some basic information about you. If they start asking you for a lot more identifying information that would be a red flag… If someone comes to your home and says that they’re out doing contact tracing, and they’re looking for a fee or a payment, that is not legitimate.”

– Carrie Haverfield, Boulder County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer