Hilltoppers,
I’m sure that everyone is doing their own monitoring of the news and what is happening with COVID in the community. What I hope to do with updates like these is to not only inform, but give perspective on how these changing circumstances affect us here at Hilltop. With the governor’s recent adjustment of the state’s status dial to include new red and purple level definitions, Mesa County is moving into the “red” category starting tomorrow.
What does this mean for Hilltop staff and operations? Well, not much of a change at present. We are currently operating under our own hyper-alert restrictions, so you will not see much of an operational change at this time. One new protocol is that our residential facilities will be starting twice weekly testing for both staff and residents. We have seen across the nation, and even locally, how quickly COVID can spread in residential facilities. The increased testing (and hopefully quick results), will allow us to identify and quarantine any and all possible infections before communal spread.
Our vigilance as Hilltoppers and community members is critical at this time. Mesa County Public Health has just released a statement notifying that all ICU beds are full at this time and they are in the process of implementing their surge plans to expand available beds. It is going to take all of us, both at work and when we are off the clock, to do our part in slowing the spread of COVID-19. Please be proactive and take the necessary precautions. Wash your hands, wear a mask and continue to practice social distancing. It’s the best line of defense we have for ourselves, our families and those we serve.
Together, we got this.
-Mike
