According to Crowley/Otero Health Health Director Rick Ritter, that s no accident. It s been a long road, Ritter said. It s been arduous and difficult and just, you know, we re all ready for it to be over. And we re getting closer. We just need to keep doing what we re doing. Doing our part to make sure we keep the rates down. And it s (not just) individuals we don t want people to get sick but businesses depend on us. We don t want to see any of our businesses go the other way and have to have less customers and be shut down. Nobody wants to see that. It s like I say in our updates, it s up to us. And that means all of us.
What does that mean for neighboring counties?
LA Junta Tribune
Otero, Bent and Crowley counties have officially moved to Level Blue (Caution) on the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment s COVID-19 dial.
The recent transitions from Level Orange (High Risk) to Level Yellow (Concern) and now to Blue are promising signs that recent downward trends in novel coronavirus case rates are continuing.
The transition to Level Blue comes due to an updated state COVID-19 dial. This version of the dial was changed because state modeling projections indicate that it s unlikely for COVID-19 patients to overflow hospitals, according to the state in a public health and environment press release.
LA Junta Tribune
COVID-19 vaccines continue to be administered in Otero County. Last week, Sheriff Shawn Mobley was among those who received a vaccine under the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment s rollout of vaccines statewide.
Mobley made a statement on Facebook as he used the social media platform to check in at Otero County Health Department for his shot. I made the personal choice to receive the vaccine after a great deal of research and conversations with medical professionals across the western United States, Mobley wrote in the post. As a Cop, I believe about 10% of what I hear and maybe 75% of what I see and do my own damned research, which leaves all the social media B.S. out. I will not shame you as I respect your views, your rights and your choices, and I made mine and am comfortable with it. I’m ready to get all the COVID crap behind us and resume life as God intended.