GLENWOOD SPRINGS—Garfield County is being ordered by the state to move to level Red on the COVID-19 dial. The order came directly from Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Executive Director Jill Hunsaker Ryan and goes into effect Thursday, December 10th at 5 pm. In her signed letter to the Board of County Commissioners, County Manager Kevin Batchelder and Public Health Director Yvonne Long, Ryan cited the rising number of cases over the last two weeks as the reason for moving from orange to red. Between November 18th and December 9th, Garfield County’s COVID-19 metrics went from a cumulative incidence rate of 665 per 100 thousand people to 1,037 per 100 thousand. The two week case count jumped from 400 to 624 while the positivity test rate rose from 12.5% to well over 13%. Ryan says returning to a less restrictive level will require the county to maintain the metrics required by the state for two weeks. In prior meetings, the CDPHE allowed Garfield County to move to level orange with variances despite the numbers being in the red, Stay at Home level.
