CDPHE extends Public Health Order 20-38

 

To: All healthcare providers From: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Infection Prevention Program and Residential Care Strike Team    The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment released the 14th Amended Public Health Order 20-38, extending the order for four weeks through April 14, 2022. The public health order revises requirements for face coverings and updates hospital reporting.    These changes align with new federal mask guidance and incorporate Colorado’s COVID-19 Roadmap to Moving Forward. The roadmap details the steps necessary to maintain a level of preparedness and agility that will keep Coloradans safe and healthy against the next potential wave of COVID-19 or an unknown future pandemic.   This updated public health order includes the following changes:   Section I.A: Revised the face covering requirements as follows:   I.A.1: Face coverings are required for all patients, residents, and visitors and medical grade masks are required for staff in homeless shelters, prisons, jails, and community corrections settings when COVID-19 transmission levels are medium or high according to the CDC COVID-19 Community Levels.  New I.A.2: Face coverings are required for all patients, residents, and visitors and medical grade masks are required for fully vaccinated staff in emergency medical and other healthcare settings when COVID-19 transmission is medium or high according to the CDC COVID-19 Community Levels. New I.A.3: Face coverings are required for all unvaccinated and vaccinated staff, regardless of community transmission levels, in emergency medical and other healthcare settings. The prior language only required masks for unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated staff in those limited settings. The new language requires masks based on CDC community levels.    Section II.A: Makes changes to hospital reporting requirements, including:   Removing the laboratory test reporting requirement for suspected positive cases, and limiting reporting only to confirmed positive cases. Wastewater surveillance helps monitor possible community transmission, monitoring the sewershed which includes data from potentially asymptomatic people or people who didn’t get tested. Removing the reporting requirement for numbers of suspected and confirmed COVID-19 cases who are discharged and in recovery.  Removing the reporting requirement for ventilator availability and utilization, and the availability of N95 masks. Clarifying hospital bed capacity reporting to include acute care beds, med/surge beds, and ICU beds. Modifying the hospital reporting requirements from Monday through Friday to twice a week on Tuesday and Friday by 10 a.m. Adding that hospitals shall continue reporting in the COVID Patient Hospital Surveillance System as directed by CDPHE.   Section II.B: Makes changes to hospital bed capacity reporting requirements, including:   Modifying the hospital reporting requirements from Monday through Friday to twice a week on Tuesday and Friday by 10 a.m. Adding reporting of the daily maximum number of adult and pediatric med/surge beds available for patients in need of non-ICU hospitalization.   Section VIII: the PHO is effective through April 14.   Continue to stay up to date by visiting covid19.colorado.gov.