Coronavirus in Colorado: COVID-19 updates for April 26-May 2, 2021

More than 502,000 people in Colorado have tested positive for COVID-19 and more than 27,300 have been hospitalized as of Sunday, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

Click here for the latest update on the number of cases, the age, gender and location of presumptive positive, indeterminate and confirmed cases from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

Below, we're updating this blog with the latest information regarding COVID-19 in Colorado.

Latest updates:

Sunday, May 2

4:34 p.m. | Polis amends and extends statewide mask order

Masks are no longer required in certain indoor settings after Gov. Jared Polis amended and extended the statewide mask order in an executive order.

The order will now allow individuals to remove masks in public indoor spaces if 80% of individuals have proof of vaccination. However, it's not clear what type of proof is required.

The indoor mask order remains in effect for all schools statewide and certain other settings. For counties with greater than 35 cases per 100,000 people, the indoor mask order applies to groups of ten or more unvaccinated people indoors and there remains no outdoor mask order.

4:29 p.m. | Latest COVID-19 numbers

Here are the latest coronavirus numbers for Colorado, as of 4 p.m. Sunday, with the change from Saturday in parentheses:

513,765 cases (+961)
28,083 hospitalized (+13)
64 counties (+0)
2,920,270 people tested (+3,624)
7,866,123 test encounters (+23,514)
6,304 deaths among cases (+2)
6,449 deaths due to COVID-19 (+0)
4,956 outbreaks (+0)

The latest hospital data showed 674 beds in use by confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients, 6 more than Saturday. Colorado's seven-day average positivity rate was 6.01%. The state's goal is to remain below 5%.

As of Sunday, 2,620,098 people in Colorado have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and 1,913,153 people have been fully vaccinated.

Saturday, May 1

4 p.m. | Latest COVID-19 numbers

Here are the latest coronavirus numbers for Colorado, as of 4 p.m. Saturday, with the change from Friday in parentheses:

512,804 cases (+1,838)
28,070 hospitalized (+92)
64 counties (+0)
2,916,646 people tested (+6,686)
7,842,609 test encounters (+30,778)
6,302 deaths among cases (+7)
6,449 deaths due to COVID-19 (+0)
4,956 outbreaks (+16)

The latest hospital data showed 668 beds in use by confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients, 21 fewer than Friday. Colorado's seven-day average positivity rate was 6.28%. The state's goal is to remain below 5%.

As of Saturday, 2,611,507 people in Colorado have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and 1,886,797 people have been fully vaccinated.

Friday, April 30

8:50 p.m. | Denver residents don't need appointments for COVID-19 vaccines at community vaccination sites

Denver residents are no longer required to schedule an appointment at any City and County of Denver community vaccine sites as of Friday.

Free vaccines are available nearly every day of the week at one or more of Denver’s community sites, though days and times vary by location. Residents 16 and up can get vaccinated at any of the city and county sites regardless of zip code. A guardian must be present for 16- and 17-year-olds, and they must go to a site administering Pfizer vaccine.

Friday through Sunday, walk-up vaccinations are available at the following locations:

Friday, April 30:

• Montbello High School, 14274 East 51st Ave., 1 p.m. – 6 p.m.

Saturday, May 1:

• Montbello High School, 14274 East 51st Ave., 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
• Martin Luther King, Jr. Rec Center, 3880 Newport St., 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Sunday, May 2:

• Montbello High School, 14274 East 51st Ave., 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
• Barnum Recreation Center, 360 Hooker St., 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.

For all other times, walk-up vaccinations are available at the following locations:

• Montbello High School, 14274 East 51st Ave.
• Barnum Recreation Center, 360 Hooker St.
• Martin Luther King, Jr. Rec Center, 3880 Newport St.
• Swansea Recreation Center, 2650 E 49th Ave.
• John F. Kennedy High School, 2855 S. Lamar St.

Site hours vary by location, so residents should call (720) 865-3005 for times and dates of operation at each site. Pre-registration is encouraged when possible, but not required.

Denver also offers at-home vaccination for individuals required to stay at home for health and safety reasons. Sign up by calling 720-865-3005 and press Option 6 for at-home vaccination.

While more than 50% of Denverites have received at least one dose of vaccine, only 19% of the eligible Hispanic/Latinx population in Denver has been vaccinated. The city hopes increasing vaccine access will help.

4 p.m. | Latest COVID-19 numbers

Here are the latest coronavirus numbers for Colorado, as of 4 p.m. Friday, with the change from Thursday in parentheses:

510,966 cases (+1,772)
27,978 hospitalized (+268)
64 counties (+0)
2,909,960 people tested (+6,741)
7,811,831 test encounters (+31,169)
6,295 deaths among cases (+11)
6,449 deaths due to COVID-19 (+6)
4,940 outbreaks (+25)

The latest hospital data showed 689 beds in use by confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients, 32 more than Thursday. Colorado's seven-day average positivity rate was 6.22%. The state's goal is to remain below 5%.

As of Friday, 2,592,917 people in Colorado have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and 1,845,638 people have been fully vaccinated.

Thursday, April 29

4 p.m. | Latest COVID-19 numbers

Here are the latest coronavirus numbers for Colorado, as of 4 p.m. Thursday, with the change from Wednesday in parentheses:

509,194 cases (+2,789)
27,710 hospitalized (+42)
64 counties (+0)
2,903,419 people tested (+7,076)
7,780,662 test encounters (+35,761)
6,284 deaths among cases (+12)
6,443 deaths due to COVID-19 (+23)
4,915 outbreaks (+24)

The latest hospital data showed 657 beds in use by confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients, 46 fewer than Thursday. Colorado's seven-day average positivity rate was 6.04%. The state's goal is to remain below 5%.

As of Thursday, 2,574,349 people had received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in Colorado, and 1,809,512 people have been fully vaccinated.

12:45 p.m. | CDPHE update on COVID-19 in Colorado: Vaccination updates, COVID-19 among children and teens

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment held a press conference Thursday where they discussed the rates on vaccinations across Colorado, variants, and the increasing number of COVID-19 cases among students in elementary, middle, and high schools.

As of Thursday, the COVID-19 positivity rate in Colorado remained between 5% and 6%, said Dr. Eric France, chief medical officer with the CDPHE.

Brigadier General Scott Sherman broke down the current vaccination distribution across Colorado:

• Pfizer vaccinations received: 2,558,790
• Moderna vaccinations received: 2,294,110
• Johnson & Johnson vaccinations received: 286,000
• Cumulative doses distributed: 5,138,900
• Cumulative doses administered: 4,385,896

Sherman said as of 5 p.m. Wednesday, 52.4% of the eligible population had received their first dose of the vaccine.

Dr. Rachel Herlihy, state epidemiologist with the CDPHE, said it's difficult to say where students are picking up the virus. Kids are in school, in extracurricular activities, going out with friends and family, etc., she said.

She said she understands that quarantining students following a positive COVID test is disruptive to education, but that the state needs to balance that with disease control.

She also explained that one of the big differences with this fourth wave of COVID-19 is the impact of the variants, like B117, which is more transmissible and spreads easily. About 14% of positive COVID tests are being sequenced in state and commercial labs for the variants, she said, which is much more than the CDC's goal of 4%.

Watch the full press conference below.

7:33 a.m. | Unemployment in Colorado

The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE) reported that an estimated 5,825 regular initial unemployment claims were filed during the week ending April 24. There were also 830 Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) initial claims filed for the same week.

Since mid-March 2020, an estimated total of 922,204 regular initial unemployment claims have been filed and a grand total of 1,190,197 claims were filed, when the PUA program is included.

For the week ending April 17, the number of continued weeks requested totaled 201,835. That includes the following totals by UI program: regular UI (61,728), PUA (57,420), and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) (82,687). The implementation of the ID.me identity verification requirement explains the relative decline in continued weeks, compared to the weeks and months prior. CDLE estimates those continued claims were filed by approximately 166,573 individuals (56,340 for regular UI; 42,630 for PUA, and 67,603 for PEUC).

Wednesday, April 28

11:59 p.m. | El Paso County launches mobile vaccination vans

On Wednesday, El Paso County Public Health launched mobile vaccination vans that can be deployed across the county to support making COVID-19 vaccines as accessible as possible.

Through a multi-angency partnership with Nomi Health and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, the first mobile clinic was held for students, parents and staff at Cheyenne Mountain High School to distribute Pfizer vaccine, which is authorized for anyone 16 and older.

“The accessibility of mobile vaccination clinics serve a critical role in bringing healthcare solutions to people directly, ensuring access to care for as many people as possible," said Mark Newman, CEO and co-founder of Nomi Health. “We are proud to further our partnership with El Paso County as we offer our first mobile site for the Cheyenne Mountain High School community. This mobile clinic furthers our work across the country in delivering care to communities that need it most. We look forward to further collaborating with the County and State to expand access to vaccines for more Coloradans.”

The vans have the capacity for up to 400 doses of vaccine.

The two vans will be able to visit workplaces, schools and community events. Those interested in hosting vans can reach out to healthinfo@elpasoco.com.

To find a complete list of providers and a map of locations across the county, visit here.

4:30 p.m. | Latest COVID-19 numbers

Here are the latest COVID-19 numbers for Colorado, as of 4 p.m. Wednesday, with the change from Tuesday in parentheses:

506,405 cases (+1,137)
27,668 hospitalized (+114)
64 counties (+0)
2,896,143 people tested (+3,035)
7,744,901 test encounters (+15,132)
6,272 deaths among cases (+8)
6,420 deaths due to COVID-19 (+6)
4,891 outbreaks (+57)

The latest hospital data showed 703 beds in use by COVID-19 patients. Colorado's seven-day average positivity rate Tuesday was 6.04%. The state's goal is to remain below 5%.

As of Wednesday, 2,558,028 people in Colorado have been immunized with one dose of the vaccine, and 1,763,809 people have been fully immunized.

Tuesday, April 27

4:47 p.m. | Colorado Department of Higher Education supportive of COVID-19 vaccine requirements

The Colorado Department of Higher Education expressed support for requiring student to be vaccinated for COVID-19 for the fall.

“After discussions with our institution presidents and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), we think it’s appropriate to expect our colleges and universities to require students to be fully vaccinated this fall,” said Dr. Angie Paccione, executive director of CDHE. “With the recent uptick in cases and the rise in variants, we want to do what we can to protect the health and welfare of our students, faculty, staff, and communities. We strongly urge our students to get fully vaccinated and be prepared for in-person instruction and campus activities.”

This comes after Fort Lewis College, the University of Denver and Colorado College all announced they would require students to be fully vaccinated when they return to campuses this fall.

Gov. Jared Polis also supported the requirement.

“Vaccines are the gateway to ending this pandemic, that is why we all need to do our part to get as many Coloradans vaccinated as possible,” Polis said. “That is why I expect that most higher education institutions will provide parents and students the peace of mind they want by making vaccines a requirement for next fall, and students want to get vaccinated so they can enjoy the full college experience. Those two or four years fly by quickly, and students have already missed out on so many important social experiences over the last few semesters.”

Colleges and universities will provide avenues for approved exemptions based on CDC and CDPHE guidelines.

4:20 p.m. | Latest COVID-19 numbers

Here are the latest COVID-19 numbers for Colorado, as of 4 p.m. Tuesday, with the change from Monday in parentheses:

505,268 cases (+2,015)
27,554 hospitalized (+163)
64 counties (+0)
2,893,108 people tested (+6,920)
7,729,769 test encounters (+21,919)
6,264 deaths among cases (+9)
6,414 deaths due to COVID-19 (+11)
4,834 outbreaks (+42)

The latest hospital data showed 679 beds in use by COVID-19 patients. Colorado's seven-day average positivity rate Monday was 6.11%. The state's goal is to remain below 5%.

As of Tuesday, 2,535,832 people in Colorado have been immunized with one dose of the vaccine, and 1,739,654 people have been fully immunized.

4:19 p.m. | Denver Public Schools releases updated graduation guidelines

Denver Public Schools (DPS) provided updated guidelines Tuesday for graduation ceremonies due to the city of Denver lifting COVID-19 restrictions.

Four guests per student will be allowed at the ceremonies, and children two-years-old and younger do not count towards the guest count.

If COVID-19 restrictions in Denver County change, DPS may need to reevaluate the new policy.

“Knowing that this life event is something that our graduates want to celebrate with family and loved ones, we hope these new accommodations allow for an even brighter celebration,” DPS said in a tweet.

4:07 p.m. | COVID-19 vaccine clinics to open in Aurora

In coordination with state and local partners, the city of Aurora is opening a COVID-19 vaccine clinic to the public on weekends beginning May 1.

The clinics will be located at the Aurora Municipal Center at 15151 E. Alameda Parkway. They will be both drive-thru and walk-up with appointments available weekly.

Pfizer vaccines will be available for the first weekend on May 1. Starting May 8-9, the clinics will occur on Saturdays and Sundays.

3:30 p.m. | Tri-County Health says there are nearly 100 positive cases of COVID-19 at Aurora ICE facility

Tri-County Health officials say 97 immigrants that have been transferred from the border and detained at the ICE facility in Aurora have tested positive for COVID-19.

2:05 p.m. | Colorado is seeing a rapid increase in COVID cases among children, health officials say

While the state’s overall case rates of COVID-19 have stabilized somewhat over the last month, Colorado is seeing a jump in cases among middle school and high school aged children, State Epidemiologist Dr. Rachel Herlihy said Tuesday.

Dr. Herlihy said the state is also seeing an upward trend in cases among children 3-10 years old, but cases among children 11-17 years old has shot up dramatically. Herlihy did not offer an explanation as to why those age groups are seeing an increase in cases.

Dr. Herlihy was joined by Gov. Jared Polis during a COVID-19 press briefing Tuesday. Polis said he does not anticipate a change in schooling for the remainder of the year despite a spike in cases.

The governor stressed schools are relatively safe and said the spread of the virus among school-age children could be related to a number of factors.

“A small number [of cases among children] might be related to schools, but what is also happening is as parents are protected, as grandparents are protected, they’re taking their unprotected 11-year-olds and 15-year-olds out with them to restaurants to hang out with others,” Polis said.

Vaccines for children 16 and up are available. Children’s Hospital Colorado has become a vaccine provider to encourage that particular age group to get vaccinated. Polis said he is hopeful that vaccines will be approved for children 12-15 by fall.

1:58 p.m. | New data shows less COVID-19 infections in Colorado counties with more vaccinations

Colorado health officials on Tuesday said the state's least-infectious large counties for COVID-19 also have the highest vaccination rates, according to new data.

Denver, Jefferson, Larimer and Boulder counties each have more than 50% of residents vaccinated, and all four counties have the lowest seven-day case rates per 100,000 among the state's largest counties. Dr. Rachel Herlihy, the state epidemiologist, says data for the state's 10 largest counties show a drop in 51 cases per 100,000 residents for every 10% increase in vaccinations.

On the other end of the spectrum, Pueblo and El Paso counties have the highest case rates among the 10 biggest counties and also have the lowest vaccination rates, below 45%.

Herlihy said the numbers are the "first promising indication we're seeing community level protection" as a result of the vaccine — and less protection where the vaccine isn't as widely distributed.

But the positive vaccine news Tuesday came with "bleak numbers" of high COVID-19 case rates statewide, Gov. Jared Polis said.

The state reported 2,015 new cases and a positivity rate of 9.64%. The state's goal has been to remain below 5% positivity.

Herlihy and Polis also shared numbers that show a rapid increase in COVID-19 transmission among high school and middle school students, though there is no statewide plan to alter school plans for the remainder of the semester.

Polis urged anyone 16 and older to get the vaccine and said many vaccination sites — including all six mass vaccination sites in the state — are taking walk-ins and that appointments are easy to make now.

Click here to read the full story.

Monday, April 26

8:10 p.m. | Only people vaccinated at Dr. Moma's March-April need revaccination

Only people vaccinated at Dr. Moma Health and Wellness Clinic between March and April should seek revaccination, Tri-County Health Department said in a tweet Monday night.

The CDC and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) have now specified that only people vaccinated at the Colorado Springs clinic between March and April 2021 should seek revaccination.

CDPHE released guidance for revaccination on April 13 announcing doses given at the clinic were considered invalid after pausing vaccine administration April 9 over "irregularities in vaccine storage and handling."

Since then, Sylvienash Moma went on social media and attempted to refute some of the claims made by the state against her clinic. Moma responded to the allegation in her Facebook post: "They did not ask to see my temperature log, storage room, vaccination refrigerator, or where I was currently storing the vaccine.”

4:07 p.m. | Denver Recreation Centers beginning to open May 3

Some Denver Recreation Centers will begin opening for certain programs beginning May 3.

Centers will begin opening for workouts, group programs, My Denver Card activities and free meals for Denver youth provided by the Denver Office of Children's Affairs.

Registration is now open.

Other activities and centers will reopen on a phased schedule throughout the coming months, which include more rec centers, pools and registered programs.

For more information, visit here.

4 p.m. | Hospitalizations due to COVID-19 continue to increase across Colorado as positivity rate reaches 6%

The latest data from the CDPHE show hospitalizations due to suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19 continues to increase across the state. The state's positivity rate is just below 6% as of Monday.

503,253 cases (+1,011)
27,391 hospitalized (+18)
64 counties (+0)
2,886,188 people tested (+3,692)
7,707,850 test encounters (+12,981)
6,255 deaths among cases (+4)
6,403 deaths due to COVID-19 (+19)
4,792 outbreaks (+8)

The latest hospital data showed 663 beds in use by confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients, 42 more than Sunday. Colorado's seven-day average positivity rate was 5.99 %. The state's goal is to remain below 5%.

As of Monday, 2,517,655 people had received at least one dose of the vaccine and 1,709,558 people have been fully vaccinated.

12:39 p.m. | Aurora ICE facility reports increase in positive COVID-19 cases due to detainees arriving from the border

Officials at the Aurora ICE facility say they've seen a "sharp increase" in positive cases of the novel coronavirus among new arrivals who have been transferred from border facilities. As of April 22, state data showed the Aurora ICE facility reported 187 confirmed COVID-19 cases.

Officials say the on-site medical staff has been testing, identifying and isolating people who have tested positive for the new virus to mitigate the spread of infection, in accordance with CDC guidelines.

Click here for the COVID-19 live blog for April 12-April 18, 2021.