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December 9, 2021
ARAPAHOE COUNTY, COLORADO
A publication of
EnglewoodHerald.net
VOLUME 101 | ISSUE 43
Masks not perfect, but do help, says local health chief Tri-County’s Douglas, data shed light on misconceptions BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
His local public-health department has issued another maskwearing mandate for two metroDenver counties with nearly 1.2 million people. Even so, John Douglas doesn’t hesitate to admit that masks aren’t perfect in the fight against COVID-19. “But, like vaccines, they work better when more people use them,” Douglas, executive director of the Tri-County Health Department, told Colorado Community Media. “Because, like vaccines, they can both prevent the individual from getting infected or sick,” and also can prevent spread of the virus to others, Douglas said. Tri-County Health serves Adams and Arapahoe counties, and provides certain public-health services in Douglas County.
Most on campuses are fully vaccinated, officials say BY ROBERT TANN RTANN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
mental health,” said Rob Bremer, vice president of network strategy for Colorado Access. “But if your provider is asking about it, it begins to normalize that conversation.” While it is not uncommon for healthcare providers to ask questions about a patient’s mental health, it’s less likely that providers will do so in a routine fashion, Bremer said. He likened the program, which he called a behavioral
Students, faculty and staff at Arapahoe Community College will have to show proof of vaccination or begin to undergo weekly testing for COVID-19 by Jan. 3 in order to remain on the college’s campuses in Littleton, Castle Rock and Parker. The decision came amid a surge in COVID cases throughout the state. Colorado Community College System Chancellor Joe Garcia issued a letter to college leaders on Oct. 7 instructing they take further steps to ensure their schools’ populations are protected against the virus. “Employees and students who work on campus, attend in-person classes, access support services, or participate in other activities at our colleges or system office will have the choice to provide results from regular COVID-19 testing or, alternatively, provide evidence that they are fully vaccinated,” Garcia wrote in his letter. Arapahoe Community College, with campuses in Littleton, Parker and Castle Rock, is anticpating around 5,000 students to be on campus for in-person classes come January. Stephanie Fujii, ACC’s president, said the vaccination-or-testing protocol is necessary to avoid an outbreak, which could force the col-
SEE SCREENINGS, P13
SEE ACC, P23
A sign read, “I don’t co-parent with the government” during an Aug. 30 protest against mask requirements at the Arapahoe County administration building in PHOTO BY ELLIS ARNOLD Littleton.
Under a Nov. 22 Tri-County order, all people 2 and older in Adams and Arapahoe County must wear a face covering in all public indoor spaces. Authorities in Jefferson, Denver and Boulder counties have issued similar mandates. With rates of new coronavirus
cases recently reaching levels not seen since December of last year — and daily deaths among those with COVID-19 recently hitting numbers higher than they did during the first wave in spring 2020 — coronaSEE MASKS, P10
‘I’m hoping it saves lives’ After piloting in Littleton, Planned Parenthood to roll out mental health screening statewide BY ROBERT TANN RTANN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
A mental health screening program that has been piloted at the Planned Parenthood Littleton
ACC will require COVID vaccination or testing
Health Center this past year is set to be expanded to locations across Colorado after the health provider said it found success in identifying patients with depression. The organization partnered with Colorado Access, a nonprofit that contracts with the state government to provide health care plans through Medicaid, to screen thousands of patients for mental health concerns, something that can oftentimes be overlooked in patients seeking primary care. “There’s some stigma around
INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 12 | LIFE: PAGE 14 | CALENDAR: PAGE 17 | SPORTS: PAGE 22
SANTA PAINTINGS
Inspiration comes from the foothills of the Rockies
P14
