Tri-County Health Department (TCHD) will be extending its public health order requiring face masks in schools and childcare facilities through Feb. 4 to give its Board of Health time to consider when to end the mask requirement for schools, childcare facilities and for indoor public spaces. While such a step would not mean that our schools and communities should stop practicing effective COVID-19 prevention measures including masking, it does mean that depending on the Board’s decision, the public health mask requirement for schools, childcares and public indoor spaces could end as soon as Feb. 4. Such a timeline would give schools, students and parents, as well as our cities, counties, businesses and other partners time to prepare for this transition.TCHD’s Board of Health will hold a Special Meeting Monday, Jan. 31, at 4:30 p.m. to discuss ending the masking public health orders. The meeting will be held virtually and information can be found at www.tchd.org.Cases of omicron COVID-19 cases rose rapidly over the past month, and the more recent decline in cases among all age groups has been just as dramatic. Recently released estimates from the State’s modeling team indicate that over 40% of Colorado residents have been infected by omicron and that 80% of the state’s population will be immune to omicron by mid-February, with cases and hospitalizations predicted to continue to decline. Given these trends and the growing availability to an array of prevention tools, particularly more effective medical grade masks and rapid tests, in addition to access to free vaccines, TCHD believes it is an appropriate time to consider ending the mask orders.“While COVID-19 is likely to be with us for years to come and challenging new variants are likely to emerge, said John M. Douglas, Jr., MD, Executive Director of Tri-County Health Department, “we are increasingly confident that we have sufficient tools at the present time —high levels of immunity through vaccination and recent infection, an increasing array of better treatments, and solid prevention measures through masking, testing, and improved ventilation–to allow schools, businesses and other members of the community to implement the protections they feel are most appropriate for their situation.”Vaccinations are still the best protection against COVID-19 so it is important to stay up to date on your vaccines. The Pfizer vaccine is available for children 5 to 17 and all persons 12 and up should receive a Pfizer booster five months after completing their primary series. Adults 18 and older can chose from Pfizer, Moderna and J&J vaccines. While vaccine protection is not 100 percent in preventing infection, it is highly effective in preventing severe illness, hospitalization, and death, particularly if kept up to date with recommended boosters. Parents of vaccine-eligible children are encouraged to contact their healthcare providers or visit the TCHD website if you have questions about the COVID-19 vaccine and where to get it.“The COVID-19 pandemic emerged in Colorado almost two years ago, and from the beginning, TCHD and its Board of Health have tried to use the evolving science and data to inform our decisions as to how best to protect our communities,” Douglas said. “We intend to continue monitoring emerging data making relevant prevention recommendations, and working with our communities to help carry out our collaborative prevention efforts most effectively. We don’t know how long the tunnel will be, but we are increasingly seeing light as to how we can all live with COVID-19 in the months and years to come as normally and safely as possible.”Tri-County Health Department serves over 1.6 million people in Adams, Arapahoe and Douglas Counties. It provides over 60 programs and services including birth certificates, immunizations, WIC, restaurant inspections, family planning, STI/HIV Testing, and infectious disease investigations. For more information, visit www.tchd.org, Twitter @TCHDHealth, or Facebook @cotchd.