In response to ongoing increases in COVID-19 case rates, test positivity, and hospitalizations, the Larimer County Health Department is once again urging residents to adhere to the critical prevention measures designed to slow the spread of the virus in Larimer County.

Unfortunately, the Halloween weekend presents another opportunity for the virus to spread even faster through the community. Larimer County experienced significant increases in COVID-19 cases following Independence Day and Labor Day weekends. Residents worked together successfully to bring the cases back down following those holidays. This Halloween weekend, the Larimer County Health Department is urging the community to unite to slow transmission of COVID-19, which could lead to additional increases in hospitalizations in the coming weeks.

Public Health reminders for a safer Halloween weekend include:

  • Personal gatherings are currently restricted to 10 or fewer people with no more than two households.
  • Wear face-coverings and keep 6 feet apart from those not in your household. Know that visiting people from another household or staying close together for hours brings with it a high risk of virus transmission at this time. The more households you visit, the more significant chance germs may spread and linger.
  • Handing treats out at the door is a low-risk activity. Be sure to wear masks and use hand sanitizer. If trick or treating, only go with people within your household.
  • To keep contact minimal, avoid having lots of little hands reaching inside a bowl or leaving a bowl outside your door. Consider setting up a table with treats spaced out or creating a “chute” to slide candy down from your door. The goal is to limit your close or direct interactions with others as much as possible. Also, it won’t hurt to disinfect your doorbell, buzzers, or other high-touch surfaces outside your home at the end of the evening.

Additional Halloween guidelines and suggestions can be found at: https://bit.ly/3oxSWeE

Face coverings, social distancing, and handwashing all help slow the spread of the virus. In addition, keeping personal gatherings small while adhering to these measures is critical at this time. Recently, residents have become less cautious and may not be following these important prevention steps in Larimer County.

“If followed, these restrictions and recommendations will save lives.  I am asking for us all to be diligent right now, more than ever,” says Larimer County Public Health Director Tom Gonzales. “We need our community to rally, and we need to work together to show that we can lower our numbers and get our cases back down again.”

Colorado’s Dial Framework standardizes different levels of “openness” for counties. Larimer County is currently in the Level 1 phase; however, the county has been out of compliance in recent weeks, jeopardizing the Level 1 status. On October 13, Larimer County Health Department submitted an updated mitigation plan to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and has been redoubling their efforts to reverse the current trends. On Friday, October 23, Larimer County Health Department issued an Emergency Public Health order, establishing new measures to target where transmission is occurring. See the full order at: https://bit.ly/2HOqnIY. A move to the Level 2 phase could lead to more restrictions for businesses in Larimer County. Learn more about the Safer at home phases at: https://bit.ly/2TFIjIs

Information about COVID-19 is constantly changing, and the public health response adjusts as more is learned about this virus. While there is plenty of news and media information available, LCDHE is encouraging Larimer County residents to view the latest credible information on COVID-19 at www.larimer.org/coronavirus  or www.CDC.gov/coronavirus. Additionally, residents are encouraged to follow LCDHE’s Facebook and Twitter accounts at @LarimerHealth.