Eagle County – Social Distancing Explained – Why and What
The Why of Social Distancing – This is going to be hard, but it’s the only way to beat COVID-19 and it’s all up to YOU
Messages:
Why Public Health Orders:
(1) Science has shown when we social distance it slows the spread of the disease and keeps our hospitals from being overwhelmed.
(2) Our talented Public Health Officials rolled out the Public Health Order on March 18th finding a balance between the social and economic impacts with the public health needs of the entire community.
(3) We’ve heard your questions about why our orders are different than other places in the US. Local orders are designed to reflect our local community – population density, geography, and local health and medical infrastructure – which is very different from many other jurisdictions, especially large metropolitan areas like San Francisco or New York City. Please understand Colorado state orders from Governor Polis should be followed along with our local orders.
What is Social Distancing?
(1) It’s not just for those feeling sick. We all play a part in spreading the virus, no matter how it affects us. It’s a numbers game, the less places you go, people you interact with the better chance we have of squashing the spread. Let’s squash this virus together!
(2) We’re doing this because we love our parents, we love our neighbors, we love our healthcare professionals and we love our friends. Our favorite bartender just lost their job, our favorite small business just closed and we can’t stomach the thought of it happening anymore. Social Distance for the people you love. Focus on what you CAN DO.
(3) The faster we adapt our lifestyle to practice vigilant social distancing, the faster we hope to get back to hugging each other. This means: (1) No playdates or gathering (indoors or outdoors) with friends outside of the people you live with. (2) Only go to the grocery or pharmacy when you must. (3) Keep your social connections active, just do it in a virtual format – this is our new socializing reality so let’s get creative, we know you can do it
(4) Exercise, walking, hiking, and biking outdoors is definitely still okay. This will help support our physical and emotional health. We just need to recognize that doing these activities in groups of people is simply not best for you or our community at this time.
(5) If you have a neighbor or family member that could use help picking up groceries or medications, it’s still okay to help. Connect by phone to see what they need and drop items off on their doorstep.
