*Total COVID-19 Cases: 73,089 (+1,925)

Total Cases in Berthoud: 3,268 (+196)

Deaths in Larimer County: 456 (+12)

7-day case rate per 100k: 477 (-399)

Hospital Utilization: 74%

ICU Utilization: 93%

7-Day test positivity rate: 13.1%

Risk Score: High

COVID patients in hospital: 56 (-43)

Deaths attributed to the virus comprise 0.62% of reported cases. Of reported deaths, 25% were age 75 to 84, 20% were 65-74 and 38% were 85 and older. Thirty-one people in the county between the ages of 18-54 have died.

As of Monday, Feb. 7, there have been 613,907 doses of the vaccines administered in Larimer County. 78.6% of eligible county residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine.

*Case data as of Wednesday.

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An amendment to an existing intergovernmental agreement (IGA) to expand broadband service in areas of Larimer County was approved by the Board of Larimer County Commissioners.

The IGA is a partnership currently underway between Larimer County and the City of Loveland Pulse to provide broadband service to underserved areas in Larimer County. Loveland Pulse was established in 2018 to provide broadband service in Loveland and is part of the Loveland Water and Power Department.

Expanding broadband in unincorporated areas is included in Goal 1, Objective 3 of Larimer County’s 2019 -2023 Strategic Plan, Rural Infrastructure.

“I am super-excited about this partnership and again thank the City of Loveland and Pulse for your continued collaboration and partnership; we really appreciate the partnerships we have, and it shows how when we work together we can do great things,” said Larimer County Commissioner Jody-Shadduck McNally.

The amendment will increase financial support from recovery fund dollars of up to $500,000 to complete grant projects already started in Drake and Lago Vista and to expand the project to provide service to an additional underserved 82 properties in Sylvan Dale and Ellis Ranch areas of Larimer County.

The IGA expansion will provide services into the Sylvan Dale Ranch area, and Ellis Ranch area which will cover an additional 82 homes and complete other broadband work underway in the Drake and Lago Vista neighborhood.

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USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain Region will receive approximately $85 million to recover and restore national forests, watersheds, and communities impacted by 2020 and 2021 wildfires.

The funding is a share of the $1.36 billion of supplemental appropriations provided to the Forest Service through the Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act of 2021. The act provided a total of $28.6 billion in new supplemental appropriations for disaster relief recovery to federal agencies.

Approximately $85 million in disaster funding will be allocated to national forests and grasslands in Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wyoming, with the majority going to Colorado and Wyoming. Funds will be used to repair infrastructure and natural resources damaged by the 2020 and 2021 Grizzly Creek, Sylvan, Cameron Peak, East Troublesome, Calwood, Williams Fork, Mullen, and Middle Fork wildfires on the Arapaho, Roosevelt, Medicine-Bow, Routt, and White River National Forests in Colorado and Wyoming. National forests and grasslands in Nebraska, Kansas, and South Dakota will receive funding for disaster recovery research.

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New building codes adopted on January 10, 2022, by the Board of Larimer County Commissioners will take effect on March 1 in unincorporated Larimer County.

The board adopted the 2021 International Codes with local amendments and administrative amendments for the 2020 National Electrical Code. Also, on March 1, the earlier 2018 I-codes will be repealed. The new building codes are adopted every three years when the International Code Council produces new codes.

The code changes include updates to energy codes, Electric Vehicle-readiness, radon mitigation, roof coverings, accessibility, sprinklers, swimming pools, and short-term rentals. To view more detailed information, visit https://www.larimer.org/building/2021-building-codes-are-coming.

Adopting new codes establishes consistency with codes of neighboring jurisdictions, aligns building codes with land use codes, Larimer County Climate Smart goals, and maintains county eligibility for FEMA-awarded grants.

The new codes also ensure a continued high rating by the Insurance Services Organization, which can affect insurance rates for property owners throughout Larimer County.

The Larimer County Building Division has scheduled a Zoom webinar so residents can learn more about the code changes at 3 p.m., Feb. 15, 2022, which will also be recorded for later online access. Register in advance for the webinar by visiting https://larimer-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_2PBWzZYzTmGOXnq4qSzBnw. A confirmation email will be sent following registration.

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Colorado has distributed  2.07 million at-home rapid tests to Coloradans and 3,729,600 KN95 and surgical-grade masks for distribution through its free mask distribution program at hundreds of libraries, fire stations, and other community sites across the state.

“We’re encouraged by the high level of interest Coloradans have shown for both these programs,” said Scott Bookman, COVID-19 Incident Commander. “As the state has seen throughout this pandemic, individual Coloradans and families are our best partner in the shared effort to put the pandemic behind us. The quick response and collaborative spirit demonstrated by the 431 community distribution points that chose to help distribute masks in their communities throughout the state is impressive. These partners have helped us distribute 3.7 million masks in a matter of weeks, which is truly an unparalleled accomplishment.”

Announced Jan.18, by Governor Jared Polis, the mask distribution program has 431 local redistribution sites including 181 libraries, 102 fire departments and 148 other community locations. The complete list of locations that received masks for distribution can be found by visiting covid19.colorado.gov/freemasks.

The Rapid At-Home testing program has received significant interest since it launched Sept. 20, last year. It has been a priority for CDPHE to ensure Coloradans have easy and convenient access to testing and we are proud to provide this free resource. We also have more than 150 free community testing sites across the state that do not require identification or insurance and provide PCR tests, and Coloradans should get tested at one of these locations immediately if they are experiencing symptoms.

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No matter what team you cheer for, this week’s upcoming Superbowl and all of its surrounding activities are usually seen as a time to celebrate and let loose. Unfortunately, it is also a time with increased occurrences of drunk driving and DUI-related crashes. With increased consumption, it is not a surprise that on Superbowl Sunday, occurrences of drunk driving are 22% higher than any other typical Sunday. This serves to highlight why the Superbowl is an excellent time to remind everyone of safe driving practices surrounding alcohol and celebrations.

In all the hype surrounding the Superbowl, it is known that advertisers can demand a high price for a one-minute commercial aired during the big event. Along those same lines, NHTSA reports that drunk driving charges are expensive as well. The average DUI costs an individual around $10,000 – typically just for court and legal expenses, not counting any medical expenses if injury occurs.

No DUI Larimer is working to get the word out about the dangers and consequences of driving under the influence and offering solutions and tips on how to avoid or curb the effects on the greater community. No DUI Larimer, a coalition and campaign born out of the need to address the problem of impaired driving in Larimer County and Northern Colorado.

While No DUI Larimer encourages everyone to drink responsibly and to plan ahead. There are certain tools available that can specifically appeal to this demographic:

• The DRUID app applies neuroscience to assess a user’s level of cognitive and motor impairment due to any cause, including alcohol intoxication, marijuana use, fatigue, and injury. Built like a video game, the app records hundreds of indicators to detect impairment in under three minutes. Available for download on most smartphones, this app can be a useful self-monitoring tool.
• BACtrack is a personal, portable breathalyzer that has been designed and marketed to help individuals make smarter and safer decisions while drinking. BACtrack allows one to receive a BAC estimate in seconds. Research suggests that education about BAC contributes to fewer incidences of impaired driving. These tools are available for purchase for as little as $39.99.

No DUI encourages all citizens to remain vigilant and to plan ahead when consuming alcohol. There are many rideshare options available via SmartPhone apps and local cab companies. No DUI Larimer has partnered with zTrip to make sure safe rides are more accessible to everyone. If you are the designated driver, make a commitment to 100% sobriety to keep you, your friends, and your family safe.

If you see an impaired driver on the road, please “Make the Call” and contact local law enforcement (911) immediately.

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Two bear cubs orphaned last July when their sow was shot and killed south of Woodland Park in a suspected case of poaching were released back into the wild Friday by Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers working in partnership with the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.

CPW officers retrieved the cubs Friday from Wet Mountain Wildlife Rehabilitation in Wetmore and took them to an artificial den wildlife officers built for them on Pikes Peak.

Before placing the cubs in the den, CPW wildlife officers fitted the cubs with GPS ear tag transmitters supplied by Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs as part of an important new research project the two agencies hope will finally answer the question: What happens to the bears when they leave the den?

The GPS ear tags will allow CPW to track their movements once they emerge from hibernation in the spring and follow their progress as rehabbed adult bears.

“We are excited about this partnership with the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, which had asked how it could help Colorado Parks and Wildlife deal with pressing conservation issues,” said Travis Sauder,

The partnership evolved over two years of conversations that grew out of the Springs Bear Smart Task Force that CPW formed with residents of southwest Colorado Springs neighborhoods where bear conflicts are common.

“The GPS tag will provide valuable data and support ongoing efforts to reduce human-bear wildlife conflicts in the Pikes Peak Region,” said Rebecca Zwicker, an animal care manager at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. “We’re hoping that through this new GPS tracking, we’ll be able to put more pieces of the puzzle together to keep bears safe and help them be successful in their wild reintroduction. We don’t know much about what they do when they leave the den, and the first step to any challenge is to understand more about it.”

Sauder also reminded the public that CPW still needs the public’s help finding the person who shot the sow and a reward has been offered for information that leads to an arrest or citation.

“This is poaching and it’s illegal and we want to catch the person who did this,” Sauder said. “But we need the public’s help.”

Sauder said anyone illegally injuring or killing wildlife could face misdemeanor charges including harassment of wildlife, hunting big game without a license, illegal taking of wildlife and reckless endangerment among other charges.

Convictions could result in fines ranging from $750 to $3,000 and up to 6 months in jail, depending on the charge, he said.

He encouraged anyone with information about the incident to contact CPW at its Southeast Regional office at 719-227-5200.

To provide information anonymously about a wildlife violation, the public can contact Operation Game Thief at 877-265-6648, by dialing #OGT from a Verizon cellphone, or by email at [email protected]. Rewards are available if the information leads to an arrest or citation.