Jeffco Ends COVID Testing For Unvaccinated Government Workers

LAKEWOOD, CO —The Jefferson County Board of Health on Monday announced that it had rescinded the mandate requiring routine COVID-19 testing for unvaccinated local government employees. Officials said the move was made in response to COVID-19 cases beginning to decline in the community.

The board of health also said that it soon will be reviewing other COVID-related public health orders, including the one requiring masking in indoor public places and in public schools.

"These changes and discussions are important steps toward a sustainable, safe off-ramp for public health mitigation measures, as our community works to transition to treating COVID-19 as an endemic disease — meaning one that is present, but controlled, in our community," Jefferson County Public Health (JCPH) said in a release announcing the changes and potential changes.

According to JCPH, PHO 21-005, which required routine testing of unvaccinated local government employees, was rescinded after a vote by the board of health at a special virtual meeting on Friday. The rescission was effective immediately.

"Due to the highly contagious nature of the omicron variant, which makes up nearly all cases in Jefferson County and in the state, testing only unvaccinated individuals is no longer an adequate mitigation measure, and it is not a reasonable expectation for all local government to test all their employees," Cheri Jahn, president of the Jefferson County Board of Health, said.

Jahn continued: "Rescinding PHO 21-005 will allow local government to make decisions that bear in mind the safety and health of all their employees, regardless of vaccination status, and to ensure these policies are robust and receptive to the current COVID-19 situation."

The board of health also announced it will reconvene for a special meeting this Friday, where it will discuss PHO 21-006, which requires masking for all individuals in all public, indoor spaces and upholds current requirements for all individuals in pre-kindergarten to 12th-grade schools wearing masks indoors.

In regard to masking in public, indoor spaces, the board said it will decide its next course of action after meeting with the Office of Pandemic Response at JCPH to monitor cases, hospitalizations and other important COVID-19 metrics.

As far as masking in schools, the board of health said mitigating and preventing the transmission of COVID-19 in schools "remains an important concern," and said it will be working with Jeffco Public Schools to "ensure a safe, healthy transition out of required masking as changes are made to PHO 21-006."

"Jefferson County Public Health is proud of the work our partners at Jeffco Public Schools — as well as all schools and childcares in our county — have done to keep students, staff, faculty and all their families safe," Christine Billings, head of the Office of Pandemic Response at JCPH, said. "As discussions continue about how to move forward into the next phase of mitigation strategies, JCPH is proud to work closely with and support our schools in their efforts."

Billings continued: "It will continue to be vital to preserve the health and safety of school-aged children and all the adults who work in and interact with our schools - especially those who may be medically fragile or are not yet eligible for the vaccine. JCPH will work hand-in-hand with all our community's school leaders to ensure programs and policies that help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in schools, as well as preserve and prioritize in-person learning."

Details about the Feb. 4 meeting will be available on the Jefferson County Public Health website as soon as they are available, JCPH announced.

The latest COVID-19 statistics are available online on the Jefferson County COVID-19 Overview page.