COVID-19 Dashboard Update – The Mines COVID-19 dashboard was updated today, revealing 34 active cases on campus. A total of 2,103 tests were completed last week, with a positivity rate of 0.90 percent. Additional case details are available here. The three outbreaks reported last week also remain active:
- Bradford Hall
- Spruce Hall
- Kappa Sigma
CDPHE defines outbreaks as two or more individuals within a cohort (facility, business, non-household group) who have tested positive for COVID-19 within a 14-day period. The state’s outbreak report is updated each Wednesday at covid19.colorado.gov/covid19-outbreak-data.
All Mines Dining facilities to remain take-out only until further notice – As mentioned in Wednesday’s Mines Alert to campus, Mines Market and the Periodic Table will be closed to in-person dining until further notice. Take-out service remains available at both locations. Keep an eye out here and the Daily Blast for service updates. Reminder: Students and employees who accessed these facilities in recent days are not being asked to take special actions other than continuing to practice basic virus protection measures. Spring 2021 hours of operation are available on the Mines Dining website.
Feeling under the weather? It could be COVID-19 – Colorado is seeing only minimal flu activity right now – there have been just 22 influenza hospitalizations statewide since September 2020, with no predominant strain currently in circulation, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment. So, if you find yourself feeling under the weather, there’s a good chance it could be COVID-19. State estimates show that 1 in 115 Coloradans are currently infectious with COVID-19. Remember, symptoms of COVID-19 include:
- Fever or chills
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Fatigue
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- New loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- Congestion or runny nose
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
If you are experiencing any of the above symptoms, the Mines COVID-19 Response Initiator Team (CRIT) wants to know. Whether you’re a student living in the residence halls or an off-campus apartment or are a faculty or staff member, please notify CRIT of any COVID-19 symptoms and/or exposure via email (crit@mines.edu) or the Mines Community COVID Reporting Tool. They will advise you on the next steps to take to protect yourself, your friends and your community.
No matter your reason, COVIDCheck Colorado has a free COVID-19 test available for you – All Mines students, faculty and staff have access to free COVID-19 testing at any local COVIDCheck Colorado testing site, including the one on the Mines campus. You do not need to be part of a Mines surveillance testing program to access testing on campus this semester.
- Worried that tickle in your throat could be COVID-19? Get tested.
- Share a kitchen with a housemate who started complaining they can’t taste or smell anything? Get tested.
- Been notified by a friend you hung out with last weekend that they have COVID-19? Get tested.
- Spent time in a crowded indoor location where people weren’t wearing masks? Get tested.
No matter your reason, it’s just a good idea to get tested. Make an appointment now at primarybio.com/a/mines (Mines CWID required). A significant portion of testing hours at the Mines site are reserved for Mines community members only (10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday-Friday).
Speaking of COVIDCheck Colorado, Mines testing partner is opening additional sites in Jefferson County next week – Beginning Feb. 2, COVIDCheck Colorado will take over the community testing operations at the Jeffco Fairgrounds and other sites operated by Jefferson County Public Health. Mines community members can sign up for free testing at any COVIDCheck Colorado site – including the new locations listed below – by using the same Mines link used to test on campus: primarybio.com/a/mines.
Arvada: Red Rocks Community College,
5444 Miller St., Arvada, CO 80002
Hours: Mondays and Wednesdays, 7 a.m.-2 p.m.
Conifer: Our Lady of the Pines Catholic Church,
9444 Eagle Cliff Road, Conifer, CO 80433
Hours: Fridays, 8 a.m.-2 p.m.
Evergreen: Montessori School of Evergreen,
6979 County Hwy. 73, Evergreen, CO 80439
Hours: Saturdays 8 a.m.-Noon
Golden: Jeffco Fairgrounds,
15200 W. 6th Ave Frontage Rd., Golden, CO 80401
Hours: Mondays-Fridays, 7 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturdays, 7 a.m.-Noon
Lakewood: Colorado Christian University,
260 S. Kipling St., Lakewood, CO 80226
Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 7 a.m.-2 p.m.
Widespread testing continues to be critical for reducing the spread of COVID-19. Testing is especially important now with new, more contagious variants of the virus identified across the U.S. and in Colorado. Additionally, as restaurants and businesses begin to reopen with greater capacity limits, getting tested (and isolating if your test is positive) will help slow the spread and ultimately, help keep businesses open. “We encourage Jeffco residents who need or want to get tested to go to any of the locations across the county,” said Christine Billings, manager of the JCPH Office of Pandemic Response. “If you have symptoms of COVID-19, such as cough, shortness of breath or a fever, you should always get tested immediately.” Family members and non-Mines housemates can also get tested for free at COVIDCheck Colorado sites, by using the State of Colorado community link: primarybio.com/l/cdphe
Colorado launches new COVID-19 vaccine hotline: 1-877-CO VAX CO – On Monday, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment launched a new call center for the public to ask questions specifically about the COVID-19 vaccine. Now through the end of January, the vaccine call center is open Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Beginning Feb. 1, hours will extend to 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The new toll-free number is 1-877-CO VAX CO (1-877-268-2926). Vaccine call center staff are trained to answer COVID-19 vaccine-related questions, provide information about vaccine providers across the state and give general information about COVID-19. Fifty operators are available to answer calls and can provide information in multiple languages. Staffing will expand as call volume requires. More information about the status of Colorado’s vaccine efforts is available at covid19.colorado.gov/vaccine.