WELD COUNTY, Colo. — More than a dozen billboards showing three people on ventilators mark the latest effort by Weld County to demonstrate the impact of the novel coronavirus.
The billboards read, “AGE DOESN’T MATTER,” “STOP THE SPREAD” and “STAY 6 FEET AWAY.” They also shows three people of different age groups on ventilators.
“Take this seriously, people are getting sick,” Eric Aakko, a spokesperson for the Weld County Department of Public health and Environment, told Denver7 earlier this week.
He said their mission is to help stop the spread of the new by increasing awareness.
The county ranks third for the number of COVID-19 cases and second for the number of deaths related to the new disease, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE).
So far, 948 residents have tested positive for COVID-19 and 57 people have died, according to Aakko. He said the billboards are just another tool to grab the attention of residents.
The county spent $5,000 on 14 billboards along Highway 84 and Highway 34. They are expected to stay up for at least a month. Aakko said they did receive help funding the expense of the billboards.
“If we all work together, we can get through this a lot faster,” Askko said.
