July 2, 2020
FREE
DOUGLAS COUNTY, COLORADO
A publication of
LoneTreeVoice.net
INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 8 | LIFE: PAGE 10 | SPORTS: PAGE 13
VOLUME 19 | ISSUE 21
GRADUATION AT A DISTANCE ‘Almost like Local high school seniors celebrate with precautions P4-5
pre-COVID days,’ Sky Ridge doctor says Lessons learned help with preparations for possible second wave BY NICK PUCKETT NPUCKETT@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
of six feet from others whenever possible. As of now, the district is operating on the assumption that group gatherings will still be capped at 10 people. The task force also recommended the district prepare guides to help families conduct health screenings at home. District staff would conduct temperature checks on students before they entered school if students were not prescreened at home or if a student became symptomatic. Urging families to conduct health screens at home “would be key to allowing students to enter our schools in a timely manner,” Chief Operations Officer Rich Cosgrove said. The task force recommended the nutrition services department continue serving meals but suggested having students eat in classrooms during longer lunch periods.
The inside of Sky Ridge Medical Center in Lone Tree feels more like “normal” these days to the staff, nurses and doctors who work there. “In June, we’ve returned to a more normal state,” said Dr. Adam Barkin, an emergency physician and Sky Ridge’s medical director. “We’re still screening patients and using more (personal protective equipment) and masks than we used to, but if you walk into the emergency department, it’s almost like it was in the preCOVID days,” he said. “It feels better for everyone because as much as anything you know what to expect. There’s less uncertainty and less unknown and less disease burdening the community, and that gives people reassurance also.” Sky Ridge officials declined to say how many COVID-19 patients it is treating or its current bed capacity. Barkin said the hospital’s COVID-19 “war room” is ready, but not currently operational due to the low number of COVID-19 patients. Patients could receive elective surgeries again in May. Sky Ridge put a hold on performing elective surgeries beginning mid-March. The hospital has maintained its current system separating COVID-19 patients with the rest of the patients, and the workers within the walls of Sky Ridge feel generally more at ease, Barkin said. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warn a second surge of the COVID-19 pandemic could hit as soon as the end of summer and could coincide with flu season. Barkin said Sky Ridge has the capability to revert to its original COVID-19 protocol at a moment’s notice.
SEE SCHOOLS, P3
SEE DOCTOR, P7
District OKs plan to reopen schools Specific action plans for fall to be revealed at later date BY JESSICA GIBBS JGIBBS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
The Douglas County School Board has approved a framework, or general concepts, for reopening the district in August along with recommended contingency plans if schools cannot return to business as usual because of COVID-19 restrictions. At this time, the district plans to reopen schools to in-person learning in the fall and provide students an experience as close to normal as possible. That could change at any time if the governor or the state and local health departments issue new guidance amid the ongoing COVID-19
pandemic, Superintendent Thomas Tucker said during the June 23 school board meeting. And while directors approved frameworks for reopening schools, they are still waiting for more details about how the district will accomplish those goals. Directors asked district staff to return with more specific action plans for reopening schools at a later date. The recommendations and contingency plans heard June 23 were drafted by a task force of 200 people — students, teachers, parents — broken into focus groups. Approximately 2,000 people had applied to serve on the task force. “To my knowledge,” Chief Academic Officer Marlena Gross Taylor said, “we have never had an outpouring of participation as we’ve had during this particular task force.” The task force recommended requiring students to wear face coverings and maintain a distance