SENTINEL EXPRESS C O M M E R C E
VOLUME 32
C I T Y
TTUESDAY 24, 2020 2020 UESDAY,, N DOVEMBER ECEMBER 15,
50cI
ISSUE 48 51
Area hospitals New COVID-19 restrictions Turn will prohibit indoor dining,lights personal gatherings on your holiday Dec. 18 not full, but fear another surge Plus, Tri-County Health extends Adams County curfew mandate BY LIAM ADAMS LADAMS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Hospitals in the wider Adams County region are running out of space, with officials expecting a post-Thanksgiving surge. About 80 percent of the county’s ICU capacity is full, according to most recent Tri-County Health Department data. The increased concerns about hospitalizations led Tri-County Health to extend Adams County’s curfew mandate until Jan. 7. The mandate prohibits county residents from being in public spaces between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. “With what are still the highest case rates in the Metro area, the threat of further hospitalizations and deaths is very real in Adams County,” said Dr. John Douglas, Tri-County’s executive director, in a press release. Gov. Jared Polis said at a city of Westminster town hall Dec. 3 that one in 39 Adams County residents An intricate display of Christmas lights adorns a house at the southeast corner of 147th Avenue and Clayton Street in Thornton on have COVID-19, a higher rate than Dec. 3. It’s one the many displays Adams County is encourage to light up for a special display Dec. 18. STEFAN BRODSKY when Tri-County first issued the curfew. drive around and look at the lights. Westminster and Thornton city “It goes without officials painted a discouraging picBy Ellissaying, Arnoldit’s been a county is required to follow based on the tough year for all of us so we wanted severity of a county’s local virus spread. ture of line hospitalizations in the A long of cars outside the area city of Brighton’s rapid testing site at Coloradosome Community Mediaholiday to help spread joy and at recent city council study sessions. Riverdale Regional Park. The site has had to close early many days in recent The dial grew out of the state’s safer-atcheer, along with recognizing our At a Dec. 7 study session, Westminweeks due Herb to high demand. Adams County’s 14-day test positivity rate As Denver metro counties continue home order — the policy that came after frontline workers, one night in De-to ster Mayor Atchison updated inch closerCounty to local stay-at-home orders the statewide stay-at-home order this Communications his on as theoffour hospitals wascolleagues 15.9 percent, Nov. 17, according to Tri-County Health Department. cember,” Director Christa Bruning said in a surrounding city,. They are test positivity rates were under Colorado’s system of coronavirusspring and allowed numerous types of BY STAFF REPORT Brighton andthe Commerce City’s both higher than written statement.the state announced Avista Adventist Hospital in Louisrelated restrictions, businesses to reopen. 13 percent. Forty-five people in Brighton and 29 in Commerce City have The county has created a logo to ville, Good Samaritan Medical CenAdams County is asking residents a new level of rules that prohibits indoor The state recently switched to color died COVID-19 related health issues. To limit the spread oflights COVID-19, promote the “Night of Lights”, in ter infrom Lafayette, North Suburban to turn on their holiday for dining and personal gatherings — a identifiers — levels blue, yellow and English and Spanish. Medical Centerin St. restrictions at least 15 countiesThornton moved toand tighter that prohibits indoor and one special night to promote holiday change that applies to the majority of the orange rather than numbered levels — to “This is a treasured tradition for Anthony’s North in Westminster. As cheer and recognize frontline workpersonal gatherings. so many families and something resof Thursday, Dec. 3, hospital staff Denver metro area and many counties in avoid confusion. Until Nov. 17, level red ers. idents can still do this year,” Brunwere monitoring the ICU every hour other regions. meant a stay-at-home order. Now, level ing wrote. “Since we really can’t do to determine if there was space for The county is asking cities and The state’s COVID-19 dial, which has red — “severe risk” — is the secondmuch else this holiday season, we’d new patients. “It’s doing what we towns, business owners had resiPhoto by Belen Ward been in effect since September, is the set like to make this one night really dents to make sure their lights are of different levelsthe of restrictions that each special across metro area.” lit at 6 p.m. Dec. 18 so families can SEE COVID, P3
Adams County encourages residents to drive around and see holiday lights
Please seeofRESTRICTIONS, Page 2 Adams County Night Lights logo. COURTESY
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