Alisa Witt, Gilpin County. Hello, I am the new Public Health Coordinator for Gilpin County. I live here in the County and moved here seven years ago. I credit my brother, Dave, and his love of Texas holdem poker for introducing my husband and me to Gilpin County. Best move ever!

For the last five years I was the volunteer President of the Gilpin Public Health Advisory Board and helped research and author the current public health improvement plan for Gilpin. My professional background includes being the Manager of Health Initiatives for a regional office of the American Cancer Society, helping that community learn how to reduce their risks for cancer and providing services for newly diagnosed cancer patients and their families. I was also adjunct faculty in the Master of Public Health program at Benedictine University in Illinois, where I authored and taught graduate level courses in health promotion both on campus, online and overseas in China.

My vision for this column is to provide factual and science-based information about staying healthy, chronic disease prevention, and living a healthy lifestyle. I will also write in future articles about what public health does and how it serves communities. I care passionately about helping all Gilpin residents make healthy choices and avoid misinformation. I am a resource for you, and I hope you will not hesitate to reach out to me with questions or concerns.

While I am not a physician or a nurse, I am a professional Health Education Specialist with high integrity. If I cannot answer your question with my current knowledge base, I will find an expert who can, and make sure you get the information you need to make the best choices for yourself and your loved ones. I will also write about upcoming public health events both locally here and available to you online, provide answers to common and/or interesting questions I receive, and give you the most up to date information about Covid-19 and other public health concerns.

I would also love to hear from any Gilpin residents about what they think could help make Gilpin an even healthier place to live. We are so fortunate to live in one of the healthiest states in the U.S. Mountain living certainly has benefits and helps us avoid many health risks that are common in urban areas, but there are still many ways we can improve our health status and reduce our risks for disease.

Covid-19 Update: We are seeing a slight rise currently in cases, but thankfully not an increase in hospitalizations. This is for a couple of reasons. First, most of us have some immunity from being up to date with vaccines and booster shots and many of us have already contracted Covid. But it is important to remember that the highest level of immunity comes from being fully vaccinated and boosted. Another reason we are not seeing a rise in serious disease is that we now have safe and effective medications that keep people from developing life-threatening complications.

Therefore, it is still very important to be tested if you have been directly exposed or if you have Covid-like symptoms. Please inform your doctor if you test positive. Even though we are all so tired of this pandemic, we must not let our guards down. How the virus will affect individuals is still unpredictable. We do know that some people are at higher risk of serious illness or death, and nobody can predict who will have long lasting effects. My hope is that we will continue to pull together as a community to protect our most vulnerable neighbors, friends and loved ones. How do we do that? Most important is to get vaccinated and boosted!

So far 220 million Americans, or 67% have been fully vaccinated. In Colorado, we are doing a little better with 71% fully vaccinated, but here in Gilpin we are below the state average with about 65% fully vaccinated. If you still have concerns about the vaccine, please reach out to me, or another trusted professional and get your questions answered. Please do not fall prey to internet misinformation. There are people profiting from spreading falsehoods and fear and they make money each time you click.

The next most important thing you can do to protect yourself is avoid high- risk situations which are mainly indoor gatherings with large numbers of un- masked people. Even though most mask orders have been canceled, it is still wise to protect yourself especially if you are more vulnerable due to age or previous medical conditions. If you are not sure of your risk status, please check with your doctor.

Free high-quality masks are available at the Gilpin County Public Health office and rapid self-tests are available at many locations throughout the county. PCR tests, the most reliable, are now offered at the public health office every Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Vaccines will continue to be offered each month free of charge and without appointments.

Please check the Gilpin County Public Health Facebook page or website (www.gilpincounty.org/departments___ offices/ public_ health_ agency) for the current vaccine dates and locations or give us a call. I look forward to sharing more information with you in future weekly articles.

I can be reached directly by email at awitt@gilpincounty.org or by telephone at 303-583-5803. Here’s to your healthy life!