18 Centennial Citizen
August 5, 2021
MASKS FROM PAGE 1
with recent recommendations by the American Academy of Pediatrics and is based on the goal of keeping schools as safe as possible while maximizing in-person learning,” Tri-County’s news release said. Tri-County continued: “Wearing masks in indoor settings is an evidence-based, safe and effective way to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and mask-wearing in schools is particularly important because there are so many interactions in schools between vaccinated and unvaccinated people, and because children under 12 are not yet eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccines.” In light of new data on the Delta coronavirus variant, the CDC in late July updated its guidance for fully vaccinated people. The CDC now recommends “universal indoor masking for all teachers, staff, students, and visitors to K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status,” according to its website. The new CDC guidance applies to schools everywhere — and to other indoor settings in counties with “substantial transmission” of the virus, according to John Douglas, executive director of Tri-County Health. Local cases on the rise The CDC’s change in guidance was based on surges in infection due to the Delta variant in many parts of the United States, as well as evolving understanding of vac-
cinated persons’ ability to transmit Delta infection and slowing rates of vaccination, according to the TriCounty news release. As of late July, similar to the rest of the metro area, all three TriCounty Health counties are in the CDC’s “substantial” zone of transmission, with seven-day incidence rates — rates of new COVID-19 cases — above 50 cases per 100,000 people, according to Tri-County. That means the new CDC guidance recommending that all people, vaccinated or not, wear masks in indoor settings applies in Tri-County’s area. Adams, Arapahoe and Douglas have seen the signs of an upswing in COVID-19 case rates, according to Tri-County’s news release. As of July 29, for Adams County, the seven-day incidence rate per 100,000 people for COVID-19 cases was 76 per 100,000. That represents an increase of 172% since June 26, according to the news release. Arapahoe has seen an incidence rate of 70 per 100,000, an increase of 142%, and Douglas had an incidence rate of 71 per 100,000, which is an increase of 163%, respectively, over the same period. School districts must choose Schools may return with little to no social distancing or mask requirements in August. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment released new P-12 school COVID-19 guidelines on July 20, but the new guidance “does not constitute statewide requirements,” a state news release said. SEE MASKS, P23
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In a Nov. 7, 2020, file photo, pedestrians stroll in the Highlands neighborhood of Denver during a period when an outdoor mask mandate was in effect in the city. PHOTO BY KATHRYN SCOTT, SPECIAL TO COLORADO SUN
BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
John Douglas, executive director of Tri-County Health Department, framed the new mask guidance as one necessary piece in combating the virus’ resurgence. “Although we think a resumption of wearing masks in schools and public indoor settings can be a useful measure to stem increases in transmission, it’s quite clear that getting vaccinated as soon as possible is the best way to prevent the spread of COVID-19,” Douglas said in a Tri-County news release. “We are in a race against time to get more people vaccinated before Delta spreads even further or new even more contagious variants emerge.” Wearing masks during times of rising community spread of the virus provides added protection to the individual wearing the mask
because, “even though highly effective, vaccines are not 100% protective,” Tri-County said in the release. “In addition, masks can reduce transmission to others, particularly those who have not been vaccinated for COVID-19 such as children under 12 or persons who don’t have a fully protective response to vaccination,” the agency added. All three COVID-19 vaccines authorized in the U.S. protect against severe illness, hospitalization and death from the Delta coronavirus variant, according to Tri-County’s release. Although rare, some vaccinated people can get Delta in a “breakthrough” infection and may be contagious — however, vaccinated individuals represent a “very small amount of transmission occurring around the country,” Tri-County said in the release.
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