In response to Gov. Jared Polis’s announcement today revealing COVID-19 Dial 2.0, Chaffee County will be moving to the Yellow Level effective at 9 a.m., Saturday, Feb. 6, according to a press release issued Friday afternoon by Chaffee County Public Health.

As of Feb. 2

EDITOR'S NOTE: Changed Wednesday morning to include 65 and older.

Gov. Jared Polis announced Friday that effective Feb. 8, counties will have the opportunity to decide to add those who are 65-69 in age and school staff to their vaccination distribution plans if they are ready to do so.

Chaffee County saw 60 new cases of COVID-19 in the last 7 days with a high of 16 cases reported Wednesday.

The county has had 105 cases in the last 14 days and currently has a 14-day positivity rate of 5.23 percent.

Beginning on Thursday, Jan. 28 and extending through Monday, Feb. 1, Buena Vista middle and high schools will shift to remote learning school-wide due to the percentage of students that have been identified as having close contacts to positive COVID-19 cases.

As of Jan. 26

Buena Vista school district superintendent Lisa Yates said Monday in her weekly update that the district had four confirmed positive cases of COVID-19.

Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center announced it will host a COVID-19 community vaccination clinic Friday, Jan. 29. The clinic will take place from 9-11 a.m., on the hospital campus, at 1000 Rush Drive in Salida.

After a month of offering vaccinations to healthcare workers, first responders and our 70-plus population, Chaffee County Public Health announced in a press release Tuesday it will be streamlining its distribution processes so that only allowed groups get the vaccine. 

Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center reported two current hospitalizations due to COVID-19 Thursday.

One of those is an 35-year-old man from the south end of the county. There is no public information available on the other reported case.

Chaffee County Community Foundation announced the opening of applications for nonprofit organizations seeking grant assistance from Buena Vista, Salida or both.

Applications will be accepted through Feb. 18.

Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center is offering a COVID-19 vaccination clinic from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday, Jan. 22, at their main campus, 1000 Rush Drive.

The clinic is for anyone who falls into Phase 1A and 1B categories.

As of Jan. 19

Coletrain Music Academy will ring in 2021 with a raft of big changes to its music education services, including a new series of virtual lessons and two new full-time teachers at the school in Buena Vista’s South Main.

The Buena Vista school district reported eight confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 in its schools Monday morning.

Chaffee County Public Health announced Wednesday in collaboration with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, another vaccination event has been added in the county from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Jan. 23.

These slots are available by appointment only and are only for healthcare workers, responders, and those who are 70 and older.

As of Jan. 12

The Buena Vista school district returned from winter break last week and resumed the school year with “very few confirmed cases,” said superintendent Lisa Yates said in her Monday morning release.

A 64-year-old woman in the south end of Chaffee County succumbed to COVID-19 during the weekend, bringing the pandemic death toll to 16 in the county.

During winter break, the Buena Vista school district reported three known confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 connected with the schools.

As of Jan. 5

Andrea Carlstrom, Chaffee County Public Health director is vaccinated as CCPH held its first COVID-19 vaccine clinic Dec. 28 at Chaffee County Fairgrounds. It included Chaffee County Emergency Medical Services.

Colorado’s first case of COVID-19, variant B.1.1.7 has been confirmed in a man who is currently in isolation in Elbert County.

Though the variant was first identified in the United Kingdom, the man in his 20s has no travel history.

As of Dec. 29

To help Coloradans transition safely into the new year, the Colorado Department of Transportation, Colorado State Patrol and local law enforcement agencies will join forces once again to complete The Heat Is On New Year’s Eve DUI enforcement Dec. 29-Jan. 2.

The Colorado Spirit Program provides free COVID-19 counseling and support made possible through FEMA grant funding administered through the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment.

 The passage of the bipartisan SB20B-001 allocated $35.15M to the Colorado Department of Local Affairs for grants to certain small businesses across Colorado, struggling from the COVID-19 pandemic. SB20B-001 was sponsored by Sens. Faith Winter and Kevin Priola, and Reps. Leslie Herod and Shane Sandridge.

The rollout of the COVID-19 vaccines continues in Colorado this week.

As of Monday 33,934 vaccine doses had been administered across the state.

Chaffee County Public Health will no longer be holding its weekly COVID-19 test clinic in Buena Vista, said director Andrea Carlstrom.

Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center began COVID-19 vaccinations for frontline and health care workers Thursday afternoon following receipt of the 345 doses of the Pfizer vaccine.

Chaffee County Public Health along with several community stakeholders and subject matter experts are hosting a virtual town hall to provide updates and address concerns about current trends of COVID-19 at noon Friday, Dec. 18, on Facebook Live and Zoom. 

As of Dec. 15

As Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center and Chaffee County Public Health prepare to receive the first batches of the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines, the case count in Chaffee County shows no sign of slowing with 27 cases reported from Saturday through Monday and 72 in the last week.

Two new cases were reported at Chaffee County High School, district superintendent Lisa Yates said Monday morning.

Chaffee County Public Health will receive 100 doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine as early as mid-December, a press release stated.

The federal government determined the vaccine allocation amount by the size of every state’s total population and the quantity of ready-to-ship doses from the manufacturers.

Chaffee County Public Health is receiving 100 doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine as early as mid-December.

All COVID-19 vaccines are required to go through a rigorous scientific evaluation before the manufacturer applies to the FDA for Emergency Use Authorization.

The state of Colorado surpassed 3,000 deaths, since data collection began in March, directly attributable to COVID-19 with a total of 3,005 as of Thursday.

The state reported a pandemic total of 276,995 cases as of Thursday with a seven-day moving average of 4,019 cases daily and a seven-day positivity rate of 11.23 percent.

In Chaffee County the pandemic total of positive cases rose to 750 Thursday with the addition of six cases on Thursday and seven cases from previous days.

In response to the current numbers of COVID-19 cases in the state, Gov. Jared Polis extended Colorado’s mask mandate for another 30 days Wednesday as a strategy to help quell the spread of the virus.

The town of Buena Vista Parks and Recreation Department released new guidelines Thursday, canceling all ongoing indoor sports programming scheduled through December, following Colorado Public Health’s decision to move the county to orange on the COVID-19 severity dial.

As of Dec. 7

Chaffee County’s two-week positivity rate rose to 5.26 percent Monday with the addition of 22 newly identified cases of COVID-19 reported from Saturday to Monday.

The Buena Vista school district reported 8 new cases of COVID-19 within the district Monday, however, none of these cases resulted in school-related close contacts, superintendent Lisa Yates said.

PLEASE NOTE: CDPHE decided that Chaffee County will be moving from the Yellow Level to the more restrictive level of orange this Friday, Dec. 4, at 5 p.m.

Due to the continued rising incidence of COVID-19 cases in Chaffee County, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment announced in a press release it is requiring that Chaffee County move into the orange level, the next restrictive level, at 5 p.m., Friday, Dec. 4.

The Colorado Department of Corrections released an update Tuesday afternoon regarding the Department’s COVID-19 response.

Chaffee County is poised to move to a higher level of COVID-19 restrictions.

Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment announced Monday Chaffee County will be moving from level yellow – concern to level orange – high risk, starting at 5 p.m., Friday.

Chaffee County is poised to move to a higher level of COVID-19 restrictions.

Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment announced Monday Chaffee County will be moving from level yellow – concern to level orange – high risk, starting at 5 p.m., Friday.

The entire student body at Buena Vista High School will shift to remote learning through Friday, Dec. 4 following a report  over the weekend of a household with confirmed positive cases of COVID-19.

By Max R. Smith, Times reporter

As the number of COVID-19 cases continues to rise in Colorado, Gov. Jared Polis has issued an executive order that will allow Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to “order hospitals and freestanding emergency departments to transfer or cease the admission of patients to respond to the current COVID-19 disaster emergency in Colorado.”

Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center received a $450,000 COVID-19 Relief grant from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs. 

Chaffee County Public Health reported seven new cases of COVID-19 Thursday in Chaffee County.

Added to previously reported cases that makes 45 cases reported in the last seven days and 79 reported in the past 14 days.

Chaffee county’s total case count for the pandemic is now 540.

The COVID-19 team at Chaffee County Public Health recently changed its process of exposure notification for COVID-19 test results.

The change is due to the increase in demand for services related to COVID-19 and the realization that there is currently not enough capacity to address the increased need.

As of Nov. 16

Chaffee County Public Health reported Friday a 51-year-old man succumbed to COVID-19, to which he was probably exposed during out-of-town activities. He is the 15th victim to die in Chaffee County.

"Please wear a mask (even if you have been skeptical in the past), distance yourselves from others beyond household members, avoid in-person gatherings whenever possible, rethink travel plans, and take care of one another."

A classroom at Avery-Parsons Elementary School, as well as a "targeted group of about 20 students" at Buena Vista Middle School were moved into quarantine Friday, according to a text alert to Buena Vista School District families Friday afternoon.

Starting today, Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center will implement several changes to the type of COVID-19 tests offered at its facilities.

All routine outpatient COVID-19 tests will be sent to Mayo Clinic for results.

COVID-19 cases in Chaffee County since the beginning of the pandemic has passed the 500 mark. Thursday’s 8 reported cases put the county’s total count at 502. In the last seven days 41 cases were reported by Chaffee County Public Health.

As of Nov. 9­

Chaffee County Public Health reported 17 new cases of COVID-19 since Friday and 34 cases reported in the last seven days.

Monday 3,301 new cases were reported statewide, bringing Colorado’s pandemic total to 135,537.

Gov. Jared Polis provided an update on the State’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic today.

Chaffee County Public Health is working with Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to update the county mitigation plan in light of an increased case count in the county.

Six new cases of COVID-19 were reported by Chaffee County Public Health from Saturday to Monday, bringing the pandemic total to 449 cases for the county.

As of Nov. 2

Buena Vista High School Principal Jon Ail announced Thursday morning that Homecoming events scheduled to take place this weekend would be rescheduled to mid-November in light of a number of students being quarantined due to potential contact with a presumed positive COVID-19 case.

Two main takeaways from the COVID-19 town hall hosted by Chaffee County Public Health Friday were the current trend of a rising number of cases across the state and recently in Chaffee County and the “pandemic fatigue” being felt by many as the state moves into the eighth month of COVID-19 precautions.

As of Oct. 26

Buena Vista schools will be closed Monday, according to messaging sent out by the district late Sunday afternoon.

Chaffee County Public Health recorded 18 positive diagnoses of COVID-19 since last Wednesday.

Andrea Carlstrom, public health director said Monday, “The numbers are certainly concerning.”

Two new cases of COVID-19 were reported Friday, one in the general community and the other a staff member at Buena Vista Correctional Complex.

Chaffee County Public Heath reported an additional seven cases of COVID-19 above the two initially reported Tuesday, bringing the total to nine cases reported this week.

Tuesday’s total was six cases, Wednesday had three cases reported and as of 4 p.m. Thursday one more case had been added to the total.

Per the guidance of Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Chaffee County Public Health asks residents to help minimize the spread of COVID-19 while celebrating Halloween.

At nearly double the 1.34 percent positivity rate at the begining of September, Chaffee County Public Health said it is concerned.

The Chaffee County Community Foundation, together with the city of Salida, Board of Chaffee County commissioners and the town of Buena Vista, is announcing a new funding program for Chaffee nonprofits and community designed to provide financial relief to organizations and address youth progr…

Chaffee County Public Health reported 10 positive cases of COVID-19 in the last week, with 8 of those cases being reported since Sunday.

That includes the elementary school-age case at Avery Parsons Elementary School in Buena Vista, reported Monday.

All of the other reported cases were in the north end of the county and all cases were resting at home.

Chaffee County Public Health is calling for support for isolation and quarantine for those who are ill.

CCPH said in a press release they are two of the basic tenets of controlling disease transmission.

Isolation separates sick people with a contagious disease from people who are not sick.

Quarantine separates and restricts the movements of people who were exposed to a contagious disease to see if they become sick.

In an effort to reinforce the requirement that local businesses adhere to the statewide mask mandate and public health orders, Chaffee County Public Health has established a clear protocol to establish expectations when the mandate is not followed.

Three weeks into the fall semester at the Buena Vista school district, Avery-Parsons Elementary School put the district’s COVID-19 protocols into action following the confirmation of a positive case of the illness at the elementary school Monday.

Chaffee County report

Chaffee County report

Chaffee County Public Health reported four newly diagnosed cases of COVID-19 as of Thursday on the county’s new data dashboard.

Three of the cases were listed among inmates at Buena Vista Correctional Complex and one was in the general community.