Press Release - Statement on H1N1 Influenza in Colorado
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OFFICE OF GOVERNOR BILL RITTER, JR
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
THURSDAY, APRIL 30, 2009
CONTACTS:
Evan Dreyer, Governor's Office, 720.350.8370, evan.dreyer@state.co.us
Mark Salley, CDPHE, 303-921-8606, mark.salley@state.co.us
GOV. RITTER STATEMENT REGARDING THE DISCOVERY OF H1N1 INFLUENZA IN COLORADO
Click here to hear audio of the Governor's statement.
"Let me begin by reassuring all of Colorado that my office and our Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) are utilizing all of the resources and expertise at our disposal to halt the spread of the H1N1 virus in Colorado. I received a call just this morning from Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and she assured me that the federal government would provide anything necessary to help us combat this virus if needed.
"We have been developing plans for effectively responding to this very kind of outbreak for more than 7 years. The planning we've done and the lessons we've learned are allowing us to respond in a measured and appropriate way. The department is currently activated at Level 1, which is full activation for public health. It involves multiple divisions of the department and multiple state, local, and federal partners. We will continue to assess our circumstances on an ongoing basis and activate additional plans if they become necessary.
"On a final note, we can't stress enough the importance of Coloradans doing their part to help stop the spread of this virus. Right now, prevention is the key and we must all work together to prevent the further spread of this virus. We are encouraging Coloradans to follow these simple tips to protect themselves.
- Wash your hands or use hand sanitizer frequently.
- Cover your sneezes and coughs.
- Avoid others with respiratory illnesses.
- People with a fever and other flu symptoms should stay home from work until the symptoms abate, and they should not send children with flu symptoms to school or day care.
"And finally, we want to encourage calling our Help Line to get the latest questions answered. Citizens can call the Colorado Help Line at 1-877-462-2911. "