Thread by @shayshinecastle

Howdy, #Boulder. Heading into another city council meeting. I know I'll be competing with live election results, so no need to follow along super closely. We've got a couple medium-size items tonight.

Including a recently added update on the corona virus and local response. So you may want to stock around for that, or read the recap tmrw morning.

Other than that, we've got a state legislative agenda update. Details here: boulderbeat.news/2020/02/29/bou…

And an update on Boulder's attempt to institute online petitioning. A vendor has been selected, with some controversy around that process. And we could have online petitions available for signature by July. Stay tuned for more.

We're getting started. Corona virus update will be soon, after a couple declarations and fluff.

This fluff includes Jane Brautigam winning city manager of the year award from the Colorado City and County Managers Association.

She is the first woman to receive this award, the CCMA rep says.

OK, this is what you came for: Boulder County's coronavirus response. Here's the presentation from Carol Helwig from BoCo Public Health.

www-static.bouldercolorado.gov/docs/1C_Corona…

77 countries and territories are reporting cases. 9X more outside China than in, within recent days.

60 cases in the us as of 2 p.m. today; 6 confirmed deaths.

"This situation is evolving very rapidly and we're paying attention to all the details as they become available," Helwig says.

37 ppl in Colo under investigation but 0 confirmed cases in the state and county

8 are pending; 29 cases were negative for coronavirus

4 ppl under investigation in Boulder County; all of them have tested negative, Helwig says. 32 ppl who have traveled recently are being monitored.

Helwig recommending getting a flu shot, not bc it will prevent coronavirus, but bc it will prevent the flu and reduce demand on local health system (hospitals).

Otherwise, wash your hands, clean doorknobs and other frequently touched surfaces, etc.

Employers: Let ppl work from home.

Lisa Widdekind, also of BoCo Public Health, says the agency is the first county-level one to fire up its response. Quarantine and isolation plans in place, objectives established, etc.

We've been working on pandemic planning for the past 18 months, Widdekind says, "before we ever got coronavirus, so we're in good shape for that reason."

There is daily monitoring of ppl who have traveled to areas with coronavirus cases.

The quarantine plan includes making sure ppl have adequate support if they have to be isolated, including access to groceries, childcare, $$ for being out of work.

Mike Chard from the Office of Emergency Management is here. Super nice guy; interviewed him about cultural brokers a few months ago (story pending).

I was struck by how much therapy language was used in emergency management. Stuff like meeting ppl where they are, cultivating relationships and trust, etc.

I mean, it is Boulder. But still.

OEM coordinating with CU, Longmont, other leaders, Chard says.

Some workshops coming up:
Hosting Continuity of Operations (COOP) Workshops
• March 9 – 9-11:00am: Building a department COOP Plan
• March 11, 9-11:00am: Improving a COOP Plan for a
pandemic
• March 12, 9:30-11:30 am: Building a COOP Plan for
Public Safety Organizations

OEM also working with the Spanish-speaking community. Chard mentions cultural brokers! Yay!

They're making sure the department's messaging makes sense, is effective and if it needs tweaking at all.

Chard: "For me the biggest issue is are we getting messaging out to the community in a coordinated way ... and released in a thoughtful and strategic manner so we don't get a lot of that, one person said this, or they're getting misinformation."

Yates q: What steps did we take to make EMS has proper gear?
Chard: "There are shortages being reported. I'm not hearing anything right now that we're at critical stages."

Chard: We'll know more after an upcoming meeting.

"We're not picking up right now there's any crisis providing EMS services to our community at this time."

Brautigam: Boulder put up some coronavirus info today. Here it is: bouldercolorado.gov/coronavirus

All staff are looking at possibility of remote working in the event of a quarantine. "We think we're on it and ready to respond," Brautigam says.

Friend: "Could we hold (council) meetings remotely if we needed to? ... Assuming it becomes pandemic more quickly than we think."

Carr: "You can't meet remotely." No provision in the charter for that.

Young: Would that require a charter change?
Carr: It would be helpful.

Young: On it.

Here's some more resources:
BoCo.org/COVID-19
• Colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/…
• CDC.gov/coronavirus/20…
• World Health Organization
• Johns Hopkins GIS Map
• Call CO-Help at 303-389-1687 or 1-877-462-2911 or
email [e-mail], for answers in English and
Spanish

Gonna wrap this up and move to a new thread for open comment and whatever else. @threadreaderapp please unroll. Thank you!