Don’t be complacent with COVID-19 precautions

SAN LUIS VALLEY – Active COVID-19 cases in the San Luis Valley have increased by 30 in one week.  On Monday, Oct. 19, the San Luis Valley Public Health Partnership announced there are now 69 known active COVID-19 cases.  The past two weeks Alamosa County has surpassed the state’s 5% positivity threshold with 8.7% of tests coming back positive; the fourth highest rate in the state. On Oct. 1, the SLC cumulative total cases was 538. Oct. 19, the total has reached 624.  There were also 10 local COVID-related hospitalizations in the two-week period ending Oct. 17.

Active cases by county Oct. 19, 2020
Alamosa County: 32
Conejos County: 10
Costilla County: 2
Mineral County: 0
Rio Grande County: 10
Saguache County: 15

The San Luis Valley is experiencing a rapid increase in COVID-19 cases. Two weeks ago, we had 15 known active cases in our region, and Oct. 19 the SLV has 69. The high number of contacts represents potential for much higher spread of COVID-19 illness in the coming weeks.


Public health officials would like to remind everyone in the valley of the importance of staying at home when you are sick or when you have been exposed to someone with COVID-19. There is currently an elevated level of the virus in the SLV, and it is critical that each person and each family do their part to prevent spreading the virus.


The hope of health officials last month was to begin moving to a less restrictive phase, but instead the SLV is in a very different situation. Mineral County officials received a letter stating,  “The Protect Your Neighbor application that was approved for submission to the State of Colorado a few weeks ago has now been delayed. According to reports from several counties throughout the Valley the joint application to move to the next phase of the state’s COVID response has been placed on the back burner until case numbers in the Valley drop back down.


The San Luis Valley Public Health Partnership encourages everyone to get a flu vaccination. A flu vaccination is recommended for all people who are six months of age and older. Talk to your primary care provider or visit your local pharmacy to see if influenza vaccination is right for you.
To pursue testing for COVID-19, or for medical questions, call:


Rio Grande Hospital 719-657-4990
SLV Health Respiratory Clinic 719-589-2511 ext. 9
Valley-Wide Health Systems 719-589-3658 ext. 9 (M-F), 719-589-2562 (Sa/Su)