Masks and the coronavirus: Why are face coverings important?
Here’s what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has to say about the use of cloth face coverings in preventing the spread of the coronavirus.
Holly Engelman/The Coloradoan, Wochit
Seven new outbreaks in Larimer County, including Colorado State University’s first outbreak of the semester, were reported to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment on Wednesday.
CSU nearly made it through the fall semester without having a COVID-19 outbreak, but a university residence hall joined Larimer County’s outbreaks in data released this week.
Though it was added just this week, CSU reported its outbreak in November, according to the state data. The outbreak was primarily limited to Newsom Hall, which houses about 400 students. CSU spokesperson Dell Rae Ciaravola said two positive students infected others in the building in late October, resulting in 11 total cases.
Following the university’s contact tracing, students who were determined to be close contacts and lived in the hall were moved into isolation or quarantine spaces on campus for the duration of their quarantine, said Ciaravola. Those who were close contacts but did not live in the dorm were told to isolate at home; 12 total students had to isolate.
Ciaravola said the outbreak will be considered closed on Dec. 3 if no additional cases emerge the outbreak will be considered closed on Dec. 3.
MORE: ‘Berated daily,’ Larimer County businesses grow weary of enforcing mask mandate
Since the start of the fall semester, CSU has been highly praised by Larimer health leaders for its mitigation strategies. Students and staff have been required to wear masks when indoors since the start of the year and vaccination is required. Students or staff with exemptions from the vaccine are required to be screened twice a week for COVID-19 through the university’s saliva screening program.
Last school year, CSU remained on the outbreak list from October to June and logged a total of 3,003 cases tied to the outbreak. It also saw specific outbreaks within the Greek community and athletics programs.
Larimer County to 59 active outbreaks, up slightly from previous week
In addition to CSU, two child care centers, a long-term care facility and a school reported outbreaks this week: Mountaintop Childcare Inc in Estes Park, The Sunshine House in Loveland, MacKenzie House and McGraw Elementary and in Fort Collins. Amazon Distribution Center and the Sprouts Farmers Market grocery store in Loveland also reported outbreaks, with both reporting six cases.
Mountaintop Childcare had an outbreak of five cases, with the last being identified on Nov. 9. The building was closed on Nov. 8 after the first case was identified and then from Nov. 10-15 for deep cleaning and “extensive disinfecting and aeration,” said Christy DeLorme, owner and director of the center.
All five cases were among attendees; DeLorme said all staff are fully vaccinated and were tested, but none came back positive during the outbreak.
The Sunshine House at Centerra reported 11 cases, nine among kids and two among staff. Barbra Anderson-Richardson, spokesperson for The Sunshine House, said the center closed from Nov. 22-26 as a result and all classrooms underwent deep cleaning.
All staff and children 3 years old and older are required to wear face masks and all go through daily temperature checks and health screenings, said Anderson-Richardson. Vaccination is not required for staff members at this time, she said.
MacKenzie House, a long-term care facility, reported three breakthrough cases among staff members, all of whom have been vaccinated, said General Manager Kirstyn Wilson.
The staff members were infected outside of the facility by relatives who had contracted the virus, she said. One was identified through routine testing required by the state at the facility, and two others were discovered when they were not feeling well and were tested outside the facility, Wilson said.
The outbreak was first reported Nov. 19 but just appeared on the state’s outbreak database. No additional staff members or residents have tested positive since and all three employees are back to work, Wilson said.
Because of the outbreak, MacKenzie Place is now required to test its staff twice a week.
The state considers an outbreak at a long-term care facility or correctional facility to be more than one case. It considers an outbreak at other facilities — like the child care centers, schools, Amazon or Sprouts — to be five or more cases.
The largest outbreak reported this week was at McGraw Elementary School. The elementary school saw 20 cases, according to state data, and the outbreak began on Nov. 17, according to Poudre School District’s online COVID-19 dashboard. Of the 20 cases, just one was a staff member.
PSD spokesperson Alex Ballou said the outbreak at McGraw was in a first-grade classroom. The classroom was moved to remote learning as a result of the outbreak and returned to in-person learning on Monday following the district’s fall break.
Since the start of the school year, McGraw has had just 32 confirmed or probable cases of COVID-19, with first grade seeing the most, according to the district’s online dashboard. McGraw is PSD’s 11th outbreak of the school year; none have resolved.
As of Dec. 2, just two schools across the district were in pre-outbreak status, meaning there had been two to four cases identified within a class, team or activity during a two week period.
Amazon spokesperson Richard Rocha said six employees at its distribution center in Loveland notified the facility they had tested positive for COVID-19. The company reported the positive tests to the state Nov. 24. Rocha said that is not an indication that the employees contracted COVID-19 at the Amazon facility or brought it to work with them.
Between employees and delivery associates, Amazon employs more than 700 at the Loveland distribution center.
“Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the health and safety of our employees has been a top priority,” Rocha said. “We have protocols in place including requiring masks, social distancing, and frequent cleaning of high touch surfaces to mitigate the spread of COVID.”
When someone reports they have tested positive for COVID-19, the company notifies those who may have been in close contact so they can quarantine, with pay, for their own safety and the safety of others, Rocha said.
While the company does not mandate vaccinations, Rocha said Amazon believe the best way to protect front line employees and communities from COVID-19 is through vaccinations.
As of 1 p.m. Dec. 2, officials from Sprouts did not return emails seeking comment.
Where is Larimer County with the mask mandate metrics?
As of data pulled from the Larimer County’s COVID-19 dashboard on Dec. 2, Larimer County met two of the four metrics required by county health officials to end the county’s mask mandate — the county’s positivity rate was 7.8% and the seven-day case rate per 100,000 was 251.
In its October public health order, the county cited the following benchmarks that needed to be met for 21 days before the mandate could be rescinded: fewer than 65 COVID patients in Larimer County hospitals; ICU utilization at less than 90% of usual levels; a seven-day case rate per 100,000 of less than 300; and a seven-day positivity rate of less than 10%.
In November, 54 people ranging in age from 38 to 96 died of COVID-19, according to data posted to the county’s dashboard on Dec. 2. From the start of the pandemic, 387 Larimer County residents have died from the virus.
See how the numbers have compared to the county’s metrics to end the mask mandate in the graph below.
COVID-19 outbreaks in Larimer County
Note: Asterisks indicate outbreaks newly reported since data released on Nov. 24.
Bold entries indicate outbreaks with 10 or more confirmed and probable cases, according to data from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
Allen Service
*Amazon Distribution Center
Bauder Elementary School
Bennett Elementary School
BJ’s Restaurant
Bright Horizons – East Fort Collins
Cache la Poudre Elementary
Campion Academy
Catholic Charities Shelter
*Colorado State University – Newsom Hall
Coyote Ridge Elementary School
Creekside Village Health and Rehabilitation
Dellenbach Subaru
Eyestone Elementary School
Fort Collins Health Care Center
Fort Collins Police Department
Genesis Hospitality
Good Samaritan Society – Fort Collins Village
Good Samaritan Society – Loveland Village
Good Samaritan Society Loveland Village Assisted Living
Hach Company
Kruse Elementary School
Larimer County Alternative Sentencing Department
Larimer County Community Corrections
Larimer County Jail
Larimer County Sheriff Department – Court Division
Lemay Avenue Health & Rehab
Lesher Middle School
Liberty Common Charter School
Lincoln Middle School
LivWell Enlightened Health Marijuana Dispensary
Lopez Elementary School
Loveland High School
Lucile Erwin Middle School
Lyons Sandstone
*MacKenzie Place Fort Collins
*McGraw Elementary School
MorningStar of Fort Collins Assisted Living
Mountain View High School
*Mountaintop Childcare Inc.
New Mercer Commons
New Vision Charter School 4-8 Campus
Poudre High School
Rawhide Energy Station
Resurrection Christian Elementary
Resurrection Christian Middle/High School
Ridgeview Classical School
Sam’s Club, Loveland
Spring Creek School LLC
*Sprouts Farmers Market, Lincoln Ave.
Sugar Valley Estates
Super Vacuum Manufacturing Co.
The Green House Homes at Mirasol
The Sunshine House Fort Collins – Bucking Horse
*The Sunshine House of Loveland at Centerra
Thompson Valley High School
Walmart Distribution Center
Young People’s Learning Center
Zach Core Knowledge Elementary School
Pat Ferrier is a senior reporter covering business, health care and growth issues in Northern Colorado. Contact her at [email protected]. Molly Bohannon covers education for the Coloradoan. Follow her on Twitter @molboha or contact her at [email protected]. Support their work and that of other Coloradoan journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today.
