On Monday, the Northeast Colorado Health Department announced the first positive COVID-19 test result in a Sedgwick County resident.
The first case of COVID-19 in the NCHD’s six-county region was identified March 18. Since then, over 1,400 cases have been confirmed in five counties, including the largest outbreak in the state at Sterling Correctional Facility, where 564 inmates and 36 staff have tested positive. But over that time, no one has tested positive from Sedgwick County until now.
According to the release from the NCHD, the Sedgwick County test result was identified through the Colorado Electronic Disease Reporting System. “Case investigations are in process and NCHD will be contacting anyone determined to have had direct contact with any individual(s) who have tested positive for COVID-19,” the release states. “In order to protect the privacy of the individuals, identifying information and medical records will not be released to the public.”
The Sedgwick County case brings the total positive test results for northeast Colorado is currently 1,413 (Logan County 641, Morgan County 656, Phillips County 16, Sedgwick County 1, Washington County 46 and Yuma County 54) and a total of 51 deaths associated to COVID-19. Segwick County was one of the last three Colorado counties were COVID-19 had not been found; Dolores and Kiowa counties are the other two counties.
“In the past several weeks, our six county health district has seen a decrease in daily COVID-19 case counts, but this is a strong reminder that we must remain vigilant. COVID-19 is still active in our communities,” said Trish McClain, Director of NCHD. “We strongly encourage people to continue to stay home if sick, wear face coverings and practice social distancing in order to prevent this virus from spreading any further.”
The NCHD urges anyone who believes they were exposed to self-quarantine for 14 days. If you develop any cold or flu-like symptoms, self-isolate and contact your primary care provider. Call ahead so they can make appropriate accommodations if deemed necessary.
“We also want to remind you that if contacted by public health contact tracers, it’s very important to talk with them to prevent further spread,” the NCHD stated.
Contact tracing helps health officials:
● Communicate public health actions
● Understand our communities affected by COVID-19
● Understand who is at risk
● Follow up with high risk groups
● Track the progress of the outbreak in our counties and state
“Engagement with the public during contact tracing is imperative,” says NCHD Response Coordination Officer, Mike Burnett. “Since we are out in the public again and interacting more frequently, this is the best tool we have to manage this disease in a proactive way while allowing our economy to thrive.”
Additionally, you can help slow the spread of COVID-19, influenza and other viruses by:
● Staying home if you’re sick and/or keeping your children home if they are sick.
● Avoid close contact by putting 6 feet of distance between yourself and people who don’t live in your household. If you have a sick family member within your home, isolate that person in a separate room and try to avoid close contact.
● Wear cloth face coverings over mouth and nose when around others outside your household and cover cough and sneezes.
● Practice good hygiene. Thoroughly and frequently wash your hands with soap and water. In the absence of soap and water, use hand-sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol.
● Cleaning and disinfecting frequently-touched objects and surfaces.
● Monitor your health daily by taking your temperature and watching for symptoms such as fever, cough or shortness of breath.
Information about COVID-19 is constantly changing, and the public health response adjusts as we learn more about this virus. Reliable, up-to-date information is available at https://covid19.colorado.gov/. The NCHD’s COVID-19 information is available at https://www.nchd.org/covid-19.
