*Total Cases: 42,626 (+411 from last week)

Total Cases in Berthoud: 1,947 (+55)

Deaths: 335 (+12)

7-day case rate per 100k: 369 (+32)

Hospital Utilization: 82%

ICU Utilization: 104%

7-Day test positivity rate: 9.4%

Risk Score: High

COVID patients in hospital: 111 (-1)

11.54% of the population of Larimer County has been reported to have contracted the virus. Deaths attributed to the virus comprise 0.79% of reported cases. Of reported deaths, 26% were age 75 to 84 and 41% were 85 and older. 14 people in the county between the ages of 18-54 have died.

As of Monday, Nov. 8, there have been 486,636 doses of the vaccines administered in Larimer County. 77.1% of county residents over the age of 12 have received at least one dose of the vaccine.

*Case data as of Wednesday morning.

The 2021 Larimer County Annual Tax Lien Sale will be held at 7:30 a.m. on November 18, 2021 at the Larimer County Fairgrounds at the Ranch, located at 5280 Arena Circle, Loveland, Colorado, in the Thomas McKee 4-H Community Building.

To participate in the tax lien sale, you must complete a W-9 at the time of registration, or already have one on file from previous years. Registration is completed on the day of the event and will begin at 7:30 a.m.

All property taxes must be collected in order to meet the budgetary requirements of all certified taxing authorities. The annual tax lien sale is held to collect these unpaid taxes. Liens are placed against the properties and are purchased by investors who, in turn, earn interest against the tax amounts.

Currently, there are 772 real property and 76 mobile home delinquent accounts in Larimer County, totaling nearly $2,404,047 in unpaid taxes.  For more information on the Tax Lien Sale, please visit https://www.larimer.org/treasurer/liens/sale or call the Treasurer’s Office at (970) 498-7020.

With 5–11-year-olds now eligible to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech pediatric vaccine, Dr. Paul Mayer, Medical Officer with the Larimer County Department of Health and Environment (LCDHE), is encouraging parents and guardians to talk with their child’s healthcare provider and make a plan for getting their child vaccinated against COVID-19.

On Tuesday, the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended that children ages 5 to 11 years old be vaccinated against COVID-19. The Pfizer-BioNTech pediatric vaccine is safe and provides a strong immune response for children ages 5 to 11. COVID-19 vaccines have undergone – and will continue to undergo – the most intensive safety monitoring in U.S. history.

“Vaccines are the way out of this pandemic and this is an important step to protecting our children, and those they come into contact with, from becoming severely ill with COVID-19. We understand that parents and guardians may have concerns and questions about this vaccine for their children. I encourage them to talk with their healthcare providers and review information from reliable sources, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics and Colorado Children’s Hospital,” says Dr. Mayer.

LCDHE nurses are preparing to offer COVID-19 vaccines to 5–11-year-olds at their locations in Loveland and Fort Collins during special hours dedicated to vaccinating this age group. Starting later this week, parents and guardians will be able to make an appointment at www.larimer.org/covidvaccine for their child to get their first shot. LCDHE began vaccinating those ages 5-11 on November 8th.

“It’s exciting to see a new age group become eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations. All childhood vaccinations are important to keeping our community healthy, and we’re looking forward to providing kids in Larimer County with this strong layer of protection against this virus,” says Tiffany Kirsch, Senior Public Health Nurse with LCDHE.

Larimer County vaccine clinic dates and times can be found at www.larimer.org/covidvaccine or by calling 970-498-5500 during the week. COVID-19 vaccines are free and available to anyone 5 years old and older.

Information about COVID-19 is constantly changing, and the public health response adjusts as more is learned about this virus. LCDHE is encouraging Larimer County residents to view the latest credible information on COVID-19 at www.larimer.org/covid19 or www.CDC.gov/coronavirus. Additionally, residents are encouraged to follow LCDHE’s Facebook and Twitter accounts at @LarimerHealth.

Drivers soon will begin seeing new regulatory signs designed to enhance safety for bicyclists along the state highway system.

Colorado’s “Three-Foot” law requires motorists to give people biking at least three feet of space between the widest part of their vehicle and the widest part of the bicyclist. Drivers are allowed to cross a double yellow line to do so when it does not put oncoming traffic at risk.

“These new signs are designed to stress that there is a legal requirement for drivers to maintain a safe space when passing people biking on a shared roadway,” said Colorado Department of Transportation State Traffic Engineer San Lee. “Studies have shown that these signs are more effective at enhancing safety than the ‘Share the Road’ signs people are used to seeing. They also help make it clear that drivers bear the responsibility for safely passing a bicyclist.”

CDOT will begin installing the new signs at various locations around the state in 2022, either as part of road construction or sign replacement projects.

“We’re very excited to see CDOT leading on bicyclist safety by making this change to clearer roadway messaging,” said Bicycle Colorado Director of Government Relations Piep van Heuven. “Words matter and these new signs leave no doubt about what is expected of drivers when passing a bicyclist on the road—three feet of space, and no less. This change makes our roads safer for everyone.”