Charles Smith, Gilpin County. The Covid-19 pandemic has become a miserable reality for all Americans. The chaos Covid has caused in education, performing arts, businesses, and social isolation, can not be understated. The number of total cases, at the time of this article was at 407,210 cases and the number of deaths 5,537, in Colorado. Gilpin County numbers stand at 157 cases and 3 deaths. 

The first case of Covid appeared in January in the United States. Beginning in March, the Gilpin County response to the growing problem was spearheaded by a number of county agencies heads.

Nathan Whittington, Gilpin County Emergency Manager. 

Bonnie Albrecht, Gilpin County Public Health Coordinator. 

Jamie Aberle, Administrative Coordinator for Gilpin County Public Health. 

Kelly Schossow, an Epidemiology and Preparedness Planner. 

Kevin Armstrong, Gilpin County Sheriff, oversees all Gilpin County first response agencies.

I can personally attest to the work  that Nate, Bonnie, Jamie, and Kelly have done. I have seen them at work, spoken to them for an article, and have been impressed with the efforts that they have given on a daily basis to serve the citizens of Gilpin County.

Starting in March of 2020 a United Command was set up and plans resulted into procedures to deal with the issue. Since the beginning, there have been thousands of hours in developing plans and implementing Colorado State mandates. 

The monumental task of administering doses of vaccine to 328,220,000 American citizens is simply a Herculean  event. With the first two vaccines, the number increases to 656,440,000. There are 5,757,000  Colorado residents alone and roughly 6,000 of those reside in Gilpin County. 

In December of 2020, the vaccines started to become available to citizens.

Gilpin County’s answer is “teamwork” from a dedicated, hard working , and capable group of Gilpin County leaders. 

To keep it local, the team developed a plan to get boots on the ground, supplies in place, and coordinate the counties agencies to reach out to our citizens, many who are very vulnerable to the virus. 

Specifically, in terms of the vaccine inoculation, above all else there is an emphasis on safety, effectiveness, and efficient distribution of the vaccines into arms.  The team has had to “adopt on the fly” and they keep their vital partnerships working hand in hand. 

There has been a learning curve but, each day has given the team the opportunity to streamline the process, and keep moving forward in a fluid manner. 

The team has asked everyone involved to please be patient. They are certain that everyone is going to get through this process. There is light at the end of this tunnel!

Also on the Gilpin crew, you will find Gilpin Ambulance, TFPD, Black Hawk Fire, GCart, etc. The Gilpin Medics are vital in the administration of the shot. They have stepped up to meet the need.

The newest team member is the Ameristar Casino.  Shout out to Hayley Harmon, the Convention Services Planner for opening up the Ameristar Facility.

The huge demands of the data entry, phone communications, logistical setup, receiving the available vaccines, coordination of available and qualified administration of the shots, and followup is an enormous challenge,  now that America has never experienced before on a scale this massive.

Think of this as running a marathon. We just completed the first quarter mile of a 26 mile race. We all must continue to wash our hands, wear a mask, socially distance, and try to keep our social activities spent in small groups. We are tired. We have been doing this for what seems like years!  We are on the path to success. We just need to stay the course and we will get through this.

There is a massive amount of stress on our Covid response leaders to do the best job possible for the citizens of our community. They have, and will continue to work diligently, to improve the process and get the job done. Planning has begun for the possibility of a mass drive through inoculation in the upcoming months. The problem that the team is experiencing is simply the limited supply of vaccines. On February 26th, the FDA will begin discussing Johnson and Johnson’s emergency use authorization. The Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine is on the way as well.

Citizens 65+ and educators are now able to receive vaccines. 

In my opinion, I feel that our community is in the best hands possible to handle this national emergency. We are very fortunate to have such dedicated working professionals in our county agencies across the board. 

When this is all over, we should declare “Gilpin VC Day” - Victory over Covid, and gather for a terrific BBQ, Covid Dance, and Celebration. 

There is a registration line - Please call 303-515-4342 to make an appointment.

(Originally published in the February 11, 2021, edition of The Mountain-Ear.)