Boulder County Declares Disaster Emergency

BOULDER COUNTY, CO — Boulder County declared a formal disaster emergency Saturday in response to the new coronavirus. Board of Boulder County Commissioners Chair, Deb Gardner, issued the declaration after consulting with both the county's emergency manager and public health director, officials said.

“Just as we did in the 2013 Flood, we are looking for all available resources to help us address the growing community needs in Boulder County around this global health crisis,” Gardner said in a statement. “Our teams of dedicated staff and public officials are working around the clock to meet our local needs for assistance and ensure that the concerns of our residents are being fully addressed."

A Boulder County resident in their 20s has tested presumptive positive for COVID-19, health officials confirmed. The person had traveled to California and was notified upon their return to Colorado that two people at the event they attended in California had subsequently tested positive for the disease.

The person has symptoms and is isolated but is doing well, health officials said.

All people who may have come in close contact with the patient have been identified and contacted, the county said. This is the first Boulder County resident to test positive for the illness.

The person is considered “presumptive positive” until the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirms the case.

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With the official emergency declaration, Boulder County can "actively build capacity to add to the response resources and systems already committed to this pandemic response locally," officials said. The disaster declaration further allows the county to access emergency funds if needed, create policies to remove obstacles and activate additional capabilities and resources to address needs and ensure the continuity of the government and healthcare infrastructure.

“The purpose of declaring a local disaster is to increase our ability to respond to and address the health and welfare needs in our community,” said Boulder Office of Emergency Management Director Mike Chard.

"As the number of people contracting the virus has increased —throughout the country, the State of Colorado, and now, locally — the disruptions to Boulder County are wider and deeper than two weeks ago," Chard said. "As a result, we are putting in place all possible structural response capabilities to help mitigate the growing impacts on our community."

The county issued the following guidance for residents:

Personal Preparation

We as individuals and families can prepare and practice now.
Getting ready for widespread disease is largely about preparing for possible shortages. Here are some things you can do:

Continue to Take Everyday Wellness Actions

• Clean your hands frequently with soap and water or alcohol-based hand rub.
• Cover your nose and mouth when coughing and sneezing.
• Avoid close contact with anyone with cold or flu-like symptoms.
• Stay home if you are sick.
• Get an annual flu vaccine if you have not had one.

Gather a Few Extra Supplies

• Try to get an extra months’ worth of prescription medications, if possible, in case there are supply chain disruptions.
• Slowly start to stock up on enough non-perishable food to last your household through two weeks of staying at home if there is a wave of transmission in the community.

Plan for Closures & Changes

• Think about how you will continue to work if your child’s school is closed.
• Understand that your plans to participate in large gatherings may be cancelled.
• Think through how you will take care of sick family members while trying not to get infected.
• Make plans for childcare if you become sick, or when your child is sick.
• Talk to your children about what they might expect.
• Cross-train key staff at work so one person’s absence won’t derail your organization’s ability to function.

Practice Good Hygiene

• Start practicing not touching your face now. This can greatly reduce the frequency of potential spread. (You can even try a buddy system, where you and a friend remind each other when someone scratches their eyelid or rubs their nose.)
• Replace handshakes with elbow-bumps.
• Start building healthy habits like pushing elevator buttons with a knuckle instead of a fingertip.
• Increase regular cleaning of frequently-touched items (e.g. doorknobs, faucet handles, etc.)

• Use a cleaning product effective for COVID-19
  • EPA list of cleaning products
  • Other effective cleaning products
  • Environmental cleaning guidance