Metro Public Health Coalition Continuing Regional Efforts to Slow COVID-19

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 12, 2021

In anticipation of a new executive order that would dissolve the statewide enforcement of the Dial framework on April 16, the Metro Denver Partnership for Health (MDPH) is developing regional strategies to control the spread of COVID-19 in the metro Denver area.

Case rates and hospitalizations in metro Denver have held steady or risen over the past several weeks, although they are down from the peaks of November and December 2020. Meanwhile variant strains of the virus continue to expand across the state. Modeling data from the Colorado School of Public Health suggest that delaying policy changes that loosen restrictions until mid-May will prevent unnecessary hospitalizations and deaths.

“Our COVID-19 vaccine supply is still limited and we must be cautious,” said John M. Douglas, Jr., MD, Executive Director of Tri-County Health Department and co-chair of MDPH. “We need time to vaccinate more metro residents so as to avoid the health and economic consequences that we have already experienced when we loosen policies too quickly.”

MDPH partners will or have already issued local orders that extend a modified Dial framework for an additional 30 days. This simplified version will continue proven mitigation strategies such as requiring face coverings indoors and maintaining indoor distancing requirements, while including modifications to simplify guidance and minimize unnecessary burden on community partners, businesses, schools, and residents. County-specific orders may outline required capacity limits for various businesses and activities.

“We are in a race between vaccinating our residents and controlling the spread of variants in our communities,” said Jason Vahling, Director, Broomfield Public Health Department and MDPH co-chair. “Continuing regional efforts for another month will give our collective efforts more time to take hold and help our communities thrive.”

MDPH encourages all metro residents to Be COVID Smart by following proven prevention and mitigation activities to control the spread – get vaccinated, mask up, socialize smarter, and take steps to be in school safely.

MDPH is led by six public health agencies serving the seven-county Denver metro area: Boulder County Public Health, Broomfield Department of Public Health, Denver Department of Public Health & Environment, Denver Public Health, Jefferson County Public Health, and Tri-County Health Department, serving Adams, Arapahoe, and Douglas counties. MDPH’s work impacts nearly 3 million Coloradans — 60% of the state’s population — who live in this region. MDPH is supported and staffed by the Colorado Health Institute (CHI). More information can be found on CHI’s website at https://colo.health/MDPH.

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Contact for the Colorado Health Institute: Kristi Arellano, Managing Director of Marketing and Communications | arellanok@coloradohealthinstitute.org | 720.382.7080