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Colorado Edition: A Swift Refusal

A discarded single-use face mask lies crumpled up on the ground.
Jackie Hai
/
KUNC

Today on Colorado Edition: We’ll take a look at how vaccines are typically distributed to better understand how the COVID-19 vaccine could be administered. We’ll also learn about the challenges facing Colorado’s contact tracing app, and we’ll hear about a group of business owners in Loveland who are refusing to follow COVID-19 restrictions.

Loveland Business Owners Refuse To Follow Health Measures

25 Colorado counties are now at the second highest level on the state’s COVID-19 risk dial: ‘Level Red: Severe Risk.’ At this level, there is a ban on personal gatherings and indoor dining at restaurants, and lower capacity limits in gyms, grocery stores and places of worship. But more than 65 business owners in Loveland announced Tuesday that they will stay open, despite Larimer County’s move to Level Red. We spoke to Ken Amundson, managing editor of BizWest, about what the businesses are doing and the county’s response to the announcement.

Colorado’s Contact Tracing App Is Still Facing Challenges

In late October, the state of Colorado launched a COVID-19 exposure notification system for Coloradans to use on their phones. It relies on Bluetooth proximity tracking, so if your phone is close to someone else who has the app, the phones essentially recognize each other. Then if you get a positive COVID-19 diagnosis, you let the app know, and it alerts those who you have been in close contact with. But the implementation of this notification system hasn’t been without challenges. Kaiser Health News’ Rae Ellen Bichell recently reported on this for Kaiser Health News, and she joined us to discuss her reporting.

How Vaccine Distribution Works

A COVID-19 vaccine could be distributed to Americans by mid-December, according to national health officials. But most Coloradans likely won’t get a vaccine until next year. Even though a few vaccines seem promising, none of them have been officially approved yet. And once those vaccines do get approval, they of course have to be distributed around the country. To learn more about how the logistics of vaccine distribution work, we spoke to Jasjit Gill, a clinical pharmacist specialist and the co-chair of the vaccine subcommittee for UCHealth.

Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!

Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs. Other music in the show by Blue Dot Sessions.

Colorado Edition is hosted by Erin O'Toole (@ErinOtoole1) and Henry Zimmerman, and produced by Lily Tyson. The web was edited by digital editor Jackie Hai. KUNC news director Brian Larson is our executive producer. We get production help from Rae Solomon.

KUNC's Colorado Edition is a news magazine taking an in-depth look at the issues and culture of Northern Colorado. It's available on our website, as well as on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can hear the show on KUNC's air, Monday through Thursday at 6:30 p.m.

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