WCDHD News Release
The risk dial moved from a 2.35 down to a 2.19 this week, which remains within the elevated risk level. There were changes in the following variables that contributed to the movement in the dial:
We had decreases in the following (please reference the WCDHD risk dial website page for additional information):
- Measure ID R1: Weekly positivity rate (from a 3 to a 2)
- Measure ID R3: Case rate per million (from a 4 to a 3.5)
We had an increase in the following:
- Measure ID R10: Contact tracing (from a 2.5 to a 3)
WCDHD has added the qualitative and objective data for each variable to the Risk Dial website page. WCDHD has assembled a committee of public health workers who have a vast knowledge of present situations surrounding the current impact COVID-19 has on our community. Each week the committee members are provided the objective data as reference. They compare this data with their knowledge of current situations to determine qualitative scores. The average of the qualitative scores is then averaged with the objective data to provide the overall score.
To better understand the data that contribute to the risk dial, please find the document titled ‘Understanding the Data in the Risk Dial’ located on the WCDHD website on the risk dial page. Please see helpful links at the end of this media release.
The COVID-19 Community Risk Dial provides a summary of current COVID-19 conditions in the West Central District. Each level of risk: low (green), moderate (yellow), elevated (orange), and high (red) are determined by federal and national guidance published by top public health experts and is coupled with specific guidance for actions to take at home, at work, and in the community.
The parameters for each category are as follows:
- Green: 0-0.5
- Yellow: 0.6-1.9
- Orange: 2.0-3.4
- Red: 3.5-4.0
The following data is used when determining dial placement:
- Overall Positivity Rate
- Weekly Positivity Rate
- Trajectory of Cases in the last 14 days
- Cases per Million per Day
- Average Daily Hospitalization
- ICU Availability
- Ventilator Availability
- Community Spread
- Testing Availability
- Average Testing Turnaround Time
- Contact Tracing
- Individuals Affected
- Medical & Surgical Bed Availability
- Availability of Reliable and Valid Antibody Testing
- Availability of effective treatment modalities for COVID-19
- An effective vaccine that is widely available
- Being able to easily obtain PPE through standard supply chains
The risk dial will be updated every Thursday after the information is reviewed by the Public Health Command Center. Dial updates are posted to: the WCDHD website, the WCDHD Facebook page, as well as the dashboard: