Department of Public Health and Environment
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
New Public Health Order Closing Construction; County-Wide Testing Plans Continue
CONTACT: Susan Lilly, Public Information Officer, San Miguel County
970-729-2028 susanl@sanmiguelsheriff.org
(March 20, 2020) -- San Miguel County, CO – The San Miguel County Public Health Director issued a new order halting active residential and commercial construction in the county effective midnight tonight (March 21st ). Exemptions are projects necessary to support essential services.
“It was the next logical step to help slow the spread of the disease. Many in the construction community commute to other counties”, Grace Franklin, Director of Public Health said. “We want to give ourselves the best chance to ensure our plan of sheltering in place is not compromised.”
This order clarifies that residential and commercial construction is not an essential business and may continue minimum basic operations such as basic maintenance, inventory, security, and payroll.
The exception to this order is if residential and commercial construction businesses are conducting activities for purposes of providing services to essential businesses, supporting essential infrastructure, or essential governmental function as long as they adhere to social distancing measures.
The county is continuing to work with its partners on finalizing operation plans and logistics to roll out free, voluntary county-wide blood tests for COVID-19 antibody detection. The goal is still to begin early next week.
“Sheltering in place is key to slowing the transmission of COVID-19,” Dr. Diana Koelliker, Deputy Medical Officer said. “This new line of testing will allow us to figure out how long this is necessary.”
Dr. Sharon Grundy, County Medical Officer added, “Eighty percent of the population will have mild symptoms if infected, it’s the high-risk population that these measures will impact the most. If we can protect these people, then we help mitigate loss.”
Testing logistics will be announced as they become available. Please do not call the medical centers, dispatchers, or anyone else to try and schedule. And again, the test is only available to those who live in San Miguel County.
For more information and to sign up for Coronavirus email alerts, go to sanmiguelcountyco.gov/coronavirus.
###
To protect and preserve the health and environment by providing high-quality public health care services and environmental protection services to the people of San Miguel County.
