Mesa County Joint Information Center

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Effective immediately, local public health officials are requesting the cancellation of any large events planned for the following week.

Contagious communicable disease is easily spread.

In addition, those exhibiting symptoms of high fever, chills or exhaustion should refrain from visiting a hospital or health care center. Instead, six triage locations have been set up around the county – two in Fruita, three in Grand Junction and one in Palisade. If available, please wear a face mask.

Call Western Colorado 211 for the latest information.

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Hospitals have reached capacity and are treating patients with the following symptoms:

• High fever
• Chills
• Exhaustion

Mesa County Valley School District 51 has canceled school for the next seven days.

Officials from the Mesa County Health Department, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and local hospitals are working together to determine the cause.

A press conference is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. at the Mesa County Workforce Center, 512 29 ½ Road. MCHD executive director Jeff Kuhr and Mesa County Valley School District 51 Superintendent Steve Schultz will speak at the conference.

Community members exhibiting any of these symptoms should contact their primary care physician and stay home from work or school.

For the latest information, visit the JIC blog – www.mesacountyjic.com – or call Western Colorado 211 by dialing 211 or 970-244-8400.

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The Mesa County Health Department is working with CDPHE to determine the cause of the illness. Local hospitals have reached capacity. Those exhibiting similar symptoms should contact their primary care physicians.

More information will be released as soon as possible.

Law enforcement is not involved in this incident.

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At this time, hospitals and health care facilities are receiving an influx of patients with the following symptoms:

• high fever
• chills
• exhaustion

Hospitals are working closely with the Mesa County Health Department and infection prevention staff to determine the cause.

Community members exhibiting any of these symptoms should contact their primary care physician and stay home from work or school.

Stay tuned to the JIC blog for more information. Additionally, an information line is being set up through Western Colorado 211 or 970-244- 8400.

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Thank you to our partners in the local media for helping us keep the community informed in advance of today’s drill at Grand Junction High School. Your efforts helped today’s operations run smoothly. Thanks as well to the agencies that participated in the many facets of today’s drill. Today’s training provided an insightful learning opportunity for all involved and will leave each of us better prepared if an incident of this nature ever occurs in Mesa County.

If you haven’t already, please sign up for the Mesa County JIC blog to continue to receive information about future drills and emergency events.

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Drill has ended at Grand Junction High School. Debrief information will be posted later today to this blog.

Updated information will be posted at http://www.mesacountyjic.com throughout the duration of this incident. Please check this website often to get the latest information. You can also enter your email address on the website to receive email notifications anytime new information is posted.
There may be times during critical incidents when first responders need to contact you directly during the emergency. To register your phone number, mobile device and/or email with the Mesa County Emergency Notification System so that you can receive notifications from the 911 dispatch center during critical incidents please visit http://www.gjcity.org/EmergencyNotifications. #GVDrill

Update on the incident at Grand Junction High School: parents of GJHS students can pick up their children at West Middle School, 123 W. Orchard Ave. Students will be bussed to West. Please come to the reunification area. Bring ID. We have to account for all students and will have sign out sheet for students reunited with their parents.

We ask that parents avoid Grand Junction High School in order to allow first responders to respond to the incident. The school district’s goal is to reunite students with their parents at West as quickly as possible.

Updated information will be posted at http://www.mesacountyjic.com throughout the duration of this incident. Please check this website often to get the latest information. You can also enter your email address on the website to receive email notifications anytime new information is posted.
There may be times during critical incidents when first responders need to contact you directly during the emergency. To register your phone number, mobile device and/or email with the Mesa County Emergency Notification System so that you can receive notifications from the 911 dispatch center during critical incidents please visit http://www.gjcity.org/EmergencyNotifications. #GVDrill

Local law enforcement, the Grand Junction Fire Department, and School District 51 are responding to a report of an incident at Grand Junction High School. Media should stage at Fourth Street and Kennedy Avenue. Please do not call the school – keep lines open for emergency response.

Updated information will be posted at http://www.mesacountyjic.com throughout the duration of this incident. Please check this website often to get the latest information. You can also enter your email address on the website to receive email notifications anytime new information is posted.
There may be times during critical incidents when first responders need to contact you directly during the emergency. To register your phone number, mobile device and/or email with the Mesa County Emerge System so that you can receive notifications from the 911 dispatch center during critical incidents please visit http://www.gjcity.org/EmergencyNotifications. Also check for postings with the hashtag #GVDrill.
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For members of the media wishing to obtain interviews for your broadcasts with representatives of the Grand Junction Police Department and School District 51, regarding today’s reality based training: please stage on the west side of Sherwood Park, near the Communications Center mobile dispatch vehicle, at 9:45am.  You will have a brief opportunity to ask questions of employees with both agencies at 10:00am.  This will be the only opportunity for interviews regarding this drill.  Once the exercise begins, a new staging area, with better visual access, will be selected for the media.  We anticipate this move occurring at around 10:45am.  You are welcome to stay and wait.  If you choose to leave after the interviews, we will post the new staging area on the JIC blog (www.mesacountyjic.com).  Thank you for your participation.