Craig, Colorado — June 29, 2021

As of 2:00 p.m., five people are admitted in the MRH COVID Unit. The people admitted range in ages from 20s to 60s. The MRH COVID unit has not had 5 people admitted since December 29, 2020. This spike in admissions is consistent with what is being seen at other Western Slope hospitals.

Our Rapid Care Clinic and Emergency Department are seeing a spike in patients being seen for COVID or concerns related to COVID. Last week, 49.35% of the tests conducted by Memorial Regional Health were positive for COVID-19. This is a 19% increase from the week prior and the highest positivity rate since the beginning of May.

The Memorial Regional Health Laboratory is participating in CDPHE’s SARS CoV-2 Variant Sentinel Surveillance program. The intent of this program is to identify possible COVID-19 variants in circulation and their burden of disease in the community. MRH submits positive COVID-19 tests weekly in order for them to undergo genome sequencing.  The majority of COVID-19 samples being analyzed have been identified as the Delta-variant of COVID-19 (see the green bar, B.1.617.2). This strain is proving to be more aggressive and is having a more severe impact on young people.

Memorial Regional Health has also been notified by the Moffat County Coroner that the two recent deaths of individuals in their 60s were due to COVID. This brings the total number of Moffat County resident deaths due to COVID-19 to 24. Two other Moffat County residents’ deaths were classified as having died with COVID-19 and not from COVID-19. One additional death is still pending autopsy and toxicology results.

What can you do? First and foremost, you can get vaccinated. The vaccines are proving to be very effective against COVID-19 and its variant strains. Data recently shared by Moffat County Public Health shows that the average efficacy of the three vaccines in use (Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson and Johnson) is 85%. If the vaccine can’t find a host, it cannot spread to others and it cannot further mutate. Viruses are resilient and the longer they are around the more likely they are to mutate and continue spreading.

Second, if you cannot or will not get vaccinated, then use common sense – were a mask (they work at reducing the spread of COVID), stay away from large groups of people who are gathering indoors – opt for outside, wash your hands, and stay home if you’re sick.

If you have not received your COVID-19 vaccine, please make time to do so now. It is free and convenient. Please contact the Memorial Regional Health Medical Clinic for more information. The number is 970-826-3109.