Week of November 30, 2020

The City and County of Broomfield is committed to providing frequent news, updates and information related to COVID-19. Please find resources and opening information at Broomfield.org/COVID and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.   Please be mindful that information may change rapidly, even by the hour.

Public Health Update You can always find daily updates on Broomfield’s COVID-19 Data Dashboard, along with information on regional hospital capacity and demographic details. Visit the state website for more information on hospital capacity, outbreaks and county case information. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) website updates cases daily at 4 p.m.

Free COVID-19 Testing: A second day of testing has been added. Testing will be held on Tuesdays from 2 - 6 p.m. and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Appointments are required and can be made at Broomfield.org/COVIDTesting. Appointment slots are released 24 hours before the events. The appointment includes testing for everyone in your vehicle who is symptomatic and lives, works or goes to school in Broomfield. Check out this short video and visit Broomfield.org/COVIDTesting for information on Broomfield’s Community Testing events and to find other testing options.

A 14-day quarantine must be completed if you are exposed to someone with COVID-19, and a minimum ten day isolation must be completed if you test positive. Test results cannot be used as documentation to travel or to return to work in lieu of a 14-day quarantine or ten day isolation. Visit Broomfield.org/COVIDTesting for more information on quarantine/isolation requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions: MYTH or FACT: I’m young, so getting COVID-19 is no big deal. MYTH! Long-term consequences of COVID-19 are common both among adults who were hospitalized and those who were not. A lack of return to baseline health is associated with older age and comorbidities. However, even among young adults (18-34 years) with no chronic conditions, 19% reported not having returned to their usual state of health within two to three weeks. Lasting symptoms include fatigue, cough, and headache among non-hospitalized cases. Hospitalized cases’ additional symptoms included shortness of breath, joint pain and chest pain, along with memory loss, concentration and sleep disorders. Cardiovascular issues are documented in both hospitalized and non-hospitalized cases and are independent of pre-existing conditions. Pulmonary complications have been seen in mild and severe cases and may persist months after discharge. Neurological and cognitive impairment are fairly common among COVID-19 survivors. For non-COVID patients admitted to the ICU for acute respiratory failure or shock, 40% had cognitive impairment similar to patients with moderate traumatic brain injury. As recent evidence suggests, similar outcomes may occur among COVID-19 survivors of ICU stays.

MYTH or FACT: I don’t need to worry about taking COVID precautions since they are making a vaccine. MYTH! Colorado plans to implement a phased approach to distributing an FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccine. Because the initial supply of vaccine is expected to be very limited, it will be distributed first to people most at risk for COVID-19, such as health care workers, first responders, and staff/residents of long-term care facilities and nursing homes. The next stage will be people living in group settings, essential workers with a high level of interaction with other people, and higher risk populations more broadly. The final phase will be for the general population.  Distributing a COVID-19 vaccine will take time. Although the state is planning to act swiftly, the process could take several months to potentially more than a year.  In the meantime, everyone needs to continue taking the necessary steps to slow the spread in our community. Avoid gatherings, stay home when sick, and remember the 3 W’s. Read more information about vaccine development and distribution.

Upcoming Events

City Council will convene tomorrow night, Dec. 1. View the agenda. Public participation via telephone will open at approximately 6 p.m. by calling 1.855.695.3744 and pressing star 3 (*3) to be placed in the queue. Written comments are requested to be sent in advance to council@broomfieldcitycouncil.org. This meeting will be presented live on the City Council website Broomfield.org/CityCouncil and through your local television, Channel 8.

Telephone Town Hall: Join the Telephone Town Hall Thursday, Dec. 17 at 7 p.m. Residents can call 855.695.3744 the night of, or sign up to be called directly. RSVP and share the Facebook event for updates. Town Hall audio is streamed live on Channel 8 and at Broomfield.org/LIVE. If you are not able to make it, listen to the available recordings.

City Updates

Food Drive: Broomfield Recreation is hosting the annual food drive for Broomfield FISH through December 4. Please drop off non-perishable food contributions at the Broomfield Community Center or Paul Derda Recreation Center.  The annual Tree Lighting will not take place this year, and residents are encouraged to share their holiday spirit instead by adding their home to the Light Up Broomfield map at Broomfield.org/BroomfieldBelieves.

Join your friends and neighbors in showing that Broomfield Believes...in our community, in our resilience and in a better tomorrow! Show some CHEER this holiday season and support Broomfield’s recovery by:

Choosing to buy local. Enjoy curbside retail and takeout at local restaurants; check out Broomfield.org/BroomfieldBelieves to take the Choose Local Challenge.

Hanging your holiday lights early and helping ‘Light up Broomfield!’ Add your home to the Light Up Broomfield Map at Broomfield.org/BroomfieldBelieves.  Encouraging giving this holiday season. Provide a gift for a family in need through a Broomfield non-profit, add a few extra dollars to your next bill to tip to selfless service workers, or share your time with the gift of volunteering. Expressing gratitude to essential workers that have been working tirelessly through the pandemic. Nominate an essential worker to receive a $50 Visa gift card at Broomfield.org/BroomfieldBelieves. Reigning in Holiday gatherings, by interacting only with people you live with, keeping your 6ft distance and wearing masks around others This week, encourage your friends and neighbors to hang up your holiday lights and add them to the Light Up Broomfield Map - add your home at Broomfield.org/BroomfieldBelieves. If you’ve made a take and make paper luminary kit from the Broomfield Library, snap a photo and add it to the map! Take and make kits are available at Library curbside pick up starting today, Nov. 30 while supplies last. Get your Take & Make kit by parking in one of the Curbside pickup spots at the Broomfield Library and calling the phone number listed on the curbside pick up sign! You can also make a luminary kit with supplies from home by following instructions, also posted on Facebook!  Share how you are spreading CHEER this holiday season by sharing a photo of you or your family doing any of the 5-steps of Cheer and be entered into a drawing for a $50 gift card! Use #WeAreBroomfield on social media posts, Upload a photo to Broomfield.org/BroomfieldBelieves or email your submission to YourBroomfield@Broomfield.org.

Activities to do From Home Still excited about Space-X’s successful launch? Take virtual field trips to blast off to far-away destinations yourself! Discovery Education hosts virtual field trips from engineering plants that make the cars of the future to a lab that researches nuclear energy. And Johnson Space Center leads tours through the Boeing Texas facility, covering the history and future of aerospace innovation.

Featured Programs & Classes

Winter Library Adventures reading challenge: Starting Dec. 12, readers of all ages can participate in a challenge that involves reading and other fun activities, or a reading-only challenge. Everyone who registers will get a free Broomfield Chipper's Lanes pass. Learn more and register on broomfield.beanstack.org now!

Wow! Thanks, STEM Launch! "What a WEEK! STEM Launch students and staff are sending their thanks to the partners who engaged with our students this week! Broomfield Police Department Commander Goodell, Officer Durham and Officer Ramazauskas, Thornton Police Department (Colorado) Officer Mansfield, KidSpace Launch owners Roger and Meghan Stockman, City and County of Broomfield Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem: Patrick Quinn and Guyleen Castriotta, Suzanne from the Broomfield Library, Nicole, Sarah and Zoe from the Broomfield Department of Health and Human Services, and City of Thornton, Colorado Government Policy Analysts and City Planners: Joe, Karen, and Martin! Our students loved working with you over the last month or so! Thank you for your service to them!"

How to Get Help: Businesses: The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is requesting public input on a business best practice certification program draft framework. This proposed state framework builds upon the model program Mesa County has pioneered and has successfully run since the summer.  Members of the public can review the draft certification program details and submit comments through this form. The deadline to submit comments is Dec.4, 2020. Visit Broomfield.org/COVIDEconomicSupport to find more information on Enhance Broomfield, #ShopLocalColorado social media campaign, the Colorado Outdoor Winter Dining Program, the Energize Colorado Gap Fund and the Small Business Support Fund. As of Tuesday, Nov. 24, 141 businesses have been awarded an Enhance Broomfield Small Business Support grant to support Broomfield businesses and their employees. Prior to being impacted by COVID, these businesses had more than 870 FTE positions, so the actual number of persons impacted is more than 1,000 (full and part-time employees). To date, these grants have totaled $589,750, with the average business support grant of $4,183 (grants have ranged from $500 to $7,500 (the current program maximum)). The range of businesses is across the board from auto repair to family counseling, dining to construction support. Residents:  The Rental and Mortgage Assistance Program offers emergency housing assistance to Broomfield residents. Learn more about how you can get help with housing related expenses, or schedule an appointment with Broomfield FISH, call 303.465.1600. Broomfield Human Services offers a number of benefits and assistance programs to help support eligible households. Applications for benefits can be made online at Colorado.gov/PEAK, by calling the Broomfield Benefits Team at 720.887.2290, or emailing yourbenefits@broomfield.org. FREE Trainings by Mental Health Partners, open to anyone Coping Skills for Managing Stress: 6-8 p.m. on Dec. 17 Parenting During the Time of COVID, separate one hour sessions: Navigating School and Nurturing Kids’ Friendships During COVID-19: Dec. 1, 6-7 p.m. Navigating the Holidays for Yourself and Kids During COVID-19: Dec. 15, 12-1 p.m.

How to Help: Additional volunteers are needed for the community COVID-19 testing sites through the rest of the year. This video shares more details about what to expect when volunteering and addresses questions such as safety and Personal Protective Equipment requirements. Sign-up to volunteer. Donations continue to be necessary to support the work of local nonprofit organizations providing services in response to COVID-19. Donate to the Disaster Relief and Recovery Fund through the Broomfield Community Foundation today.

Show how you are supporting your community and doing your part Using #WeAreBroomfield, #DoingMyPartCO

Find Reliable, Updated Information: Broomfield Public Health and Environment (BPHE)  Colorado Department of Health and Environment (CDPHE) Federal Center of Disease Control (CDC)