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Monday March 30 2020

​Welcome To The 36th Issue of the Valley Beat! 
​Our Fourth Free Issue!

Message from the editor

Message from the editor:
We are living in very uncertain times. There is a lot of fear out there, both founded and
unfounded. I will do my absolute best to make sure that The Valley Beat (TVB) remains
unbiased, 100 percent factual, and dependable.
Over the previous 33 issues, we have tried to show how much you, our subscribers and
advertisers are valued and appreciated. 'My goal in creating TVB was never to become wealthy.
It was to do what I love, while bringing news to the people of my community, each week.
Because of this, after prayer, I have decided that during the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19,
I will be publishing the next month of issues online for everyone to view FREE-OF-CHARGE. 'I
will also not be asking for advertisers to make payments. 'Existing subscribers will receive an
extra month FREE. The same will be extended to my valued advertisers that have paid months in
advance.
I believe that this is a small way that I can give back to our community.
We are a strong, resilient people. We will make it through this crisis stronger, if we all work
together.
Please share far and wide, so that your family and friends have access to the local news. We
publish Monday mornings each week.
May God bless each and every one of you and your families, always!
With gratitude,

- by Tracy Ballard
Custer County Emergency Management and Custer County Public Health would like to address some of the recent concerns that have been raised regarding our response to COVID-19, specifically as it pertains to the Emergency Operations Center (EOC). 
 
  • Custer County Emergency Operations Center (EOC), which is staffed by the Office of Emergency Management, the Office of Public Health, and qualified volunteers followed all state guidelines regarding the self- quarantine since its opening. We have heard concerns that an EOC staff member “broke quarantine.” The Colorado Department of Health and Environment (CDPHE) set the following guidelines: A person should self- quarantine if they have a household member that has a positive COVID- 19 test, has symptoms of COVID-19, or are getting ill. If you would like to read the guidelines in full, they can be found in the following link: https://covid19.colorado.gov/ . Since no one on the EOC staff met the above requirements, no one “broke quarantine” and no one put other members of the public or fire department at risk. 
 
  • Another concern was voiced about a picture posted where an EOC worker broke social distancing protocol with an adult volunteer that was perceived to be a child. Both parties in the picture were adults. The EOC has acknowledged that they made a mistake in that instance and have self-corrected. Likewise, we encourage the public to be aware of the social distancing guidelines and follow them to the best of their ability. 
 
  • The EOC was operating in the Public Health Office, but this space was found to be too small to adhere to social distancing guidelines. A request was made to move the EOC to the Wet Mountain Fire Department training room. The space there would allow enough room to practice social distancing guidelines, remaining at least 6 feet from one 
another. The initial agreement included precautionary measures to ensure that EMS and Fire personnel could consistently and safely maintain a separate workspace from Custer Emergency Management and Custer Public Health during the COVID-19 response. 
 
The initial agreement included the following precautionary measures which would be taken by EOC Staff: 
  • Use of a primary entrance/exit with an alternate entrance/exit for emergencies. 
  • Use of a single restroom, which would be cleaned multiple times per day and each evening prior to departing the Fire Department. ​
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The Valley Beat
1220 Williams Trace
Westcliffe, CO 81252

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