More than 1,103,000 people in Colorado have tested positive for COVID-19 and more than 53,200 have been hospitalized as of Sunday afternoon, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
READ MORE: List of Colorado businesses that are open
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, January 23
11 a.m. | Latest vaccine breakthrough data from the CDPHE
The latest vaccine breakthrough data from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment continues to show COVID-19 vaccines are working. Based on the most recent risk rates from the data shown, vaccinated individuals are 12.9 times less likely to die from COVID-19.
CDPHE data can be accessed here: https://bit.ly/3E1FxD8
Friday, January 21
4 p.m. | Latest coronavirus data
Colorado's positivity rate continues to drop as hospitalizations appear to plateauing, according to the the latest COVID-19 data from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
1,185,867 cases (+14,078)
54,849 hospitalized (+123)
64 counties (+0)
4,606,775 people tested (+22,788)
15,470,441 test encounters (+86,718)
10,799 deaths among cases (+31)
11,245 deaths due to COVID-19 (+61)
7,824 outbreaks (+48)
The latest hospital data show 1,682 beds in use by patients with confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19, 10 fewer than Thursday. Colorado’s seven-day average positivity rate was 25.76%. The state’s goal is to remain below 5%.
As of Friday, 4,304,237 people have received at least one dose of the vaccine in Colorado and 3,868,691 have been fully vaccinated.
Thursday, January 20
4 p.m. | Latest coronavirus data
Colorado's positivity rate continues to drop as hospitalizations appear to plateauing, according to the the latest COVID-19 data from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
1,171,789 cases (+15,418)
54,726 hospitalized (+370)
64 counties (+0)
4,583,987 people tested (+19,568)
15,383,723 test encounters (+83,808)
10,768 deaths among cases (+42)
11,184 deaths due to COVID-19 (+0)
7,776 outbreaks (+40)
The latest hospital data show 1,692 beds in use by patients with confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19, 38 fewer than Wednesday. Colorado’s seven-day average positivity rate was 26.39%. The state’s goal is to remain below 5%.
AsAs of Friday4,299,963 people have received at least one dose of the vaccine in Colorado and 3,865,298 have been fully vaccinated.
3:20 p.m. | CU Boulder will offer N95, KN95s for students, faculty and staff starting Friday
CU Boulder will start distributing N95 and KN95s for students, faculty and staff as the omicron variant continues to spread throughout the community, beginning this Friday.
Those interested in getting these high-quality masks are asked to show up at any reception desk at the University Memorial Center (UMC), Center for Community (C4C), Student Recreation Center, Center for Academic Success and Engagement (CASE) or Sustainability, Energy and Environment Community (SEEC) and pick them up between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. on weekdays.
The university is still providing surgical masks in most buildings that can be worn underneath cloth masks. In addition to campus mask distribution, the state of Colorado is also providing free KN95 masks to the public.
Questions about campus mask guidance, fitting and distribution can be directed to Buff Info by calling 303-492-INFO (4636), emailing buffinfo@colorado.edu or via live chat.
To learn more about best practices and care, click here.
1:10 p.m. | Health officials ‘cautiously optimistic' as Colorado appears to be turning the corner on omicron wave
Colorado health officials said Thursday they’re “cautiously optimistic” the state is starting to turn the corner from the omicron wave after a rapid surge in cases last month.
State epidemiologist Dr. Rachel Herlihy said even though trends over the past week have shown a decrease for much of the state, those metrics remain at very high levels not seen in previous waves of the pandemic.
Currently, the state’s positivity rate is above 26% as of Thursday – more than five times of what is recommended by federal, state and local health officials to curb transmission of the virus. This metric is one the state department of public health says is the “best leading indicator” to identify changes in the trajectory of the pandemic across Colorado.
While Colorado is following in the same downward trend as the rest of the country, Herlihy did caution that “we do continue to see high case rates right now” and that the prevalence of the omicron variant in the community continues to be very high.
Hospitalizations, which typically lag by about two weeks after cases, also appear to be leveling off.
Currently, 1,641 people infected with the virus are occupying beds across the state, a decrease of 33 from Wednesday, Herlihy said, adding she’d like to see that number continue to decline before feeling confident there’s a true decline in hospitalizations. About 64% of people hospitalized across the state are due to illness related to COVID-19, compared to the previous 90% baseline seen in previous waves of the pandemic, Herlihy said.
Those hospitalizations could continue to decline if more Coloradans get their booster shots, Herlihy argued, as she presented new data from the state which showed someone who has received a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine is seven times less likely to end up hospitalized compared to someone who hasn’t received a booster and 46 times less likely to end up in the hospital than an unvaccinated individual.
The number of ICU beds currently available across the state as of early Thursday afternoon is 118 and there’s been “a bit of an increase in the number of available beds” over the past several days, according to COVID-19 incident commander Scott Bookman, who said there’s cautious optimism that the state is beginning to see cases and hospitalizations go down.
Herlihy said the state is currently working to understand what percentage of the population could be immune at this point but cautioned against thinking the end of the pandemic was near.
“We know that it’s possible that omicron is not the last variant we’ll see.”
9:41 a.m. | Elbert County does not yet have free KN95s or surgical masks available for distribution
Elbert County officials say they do not yet have free KN95s or surgical masks available as they're continuing to "assess our capacity to serve as a distribution site."
After announcing Tuesday that several locations would be distributing KN95s across Colorado, the state later backtracked, saying only public libraries would be distributing them with more locations "to follow"
To see a full list of places distributing masks, click here.
Wednesday, January 19
4:10 p.m. | Englewood Public Library moves to curbside pickup as COVID-19 cases case across the community
City of Englewood officials announced Wednesday that the Englewood Public Library would be moving to curbside pickup "due to rising COVID cases among staff and within our community." The changes take effect immediately and are expected to last through Feb. 10.
Public computer use will be limited to a maximum of 10 persons in the library at a time and i-person Children’s, Tween, Teen, and Adult library programs will be held on the second floor of the Civic Center either in the Community Room or Hampden Hall where space is available, held virtually, or canceled. Adult computer classes will continue to be held in the Library’s Tech Lab on the first and third Saturdays of the month. Due to limited seating, registration is required.
Services unavailable during this time are as follows:
- Browsing or walk-in library services
- Meeting or study room use
- Little Free Pantry access
Residents are asked to please check the library’s online calendar or call 303-762-2560 for the most current information.
The library's Immigrant Services program (e.g., English language tutoring and citizenship test prep) will be available by appointment only. Reference and Reader’s Advisory will be available via phone and email.
Curbside pickup will be available Monday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
4 p.m. | Latest coronavirus data
Colorado's positivity rate continues to drop as hospitalizations appear to be leveling off, according to the the latest COVID-19 data from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
1,156,371 cases (+9,631)
54,356 hospitalized (+378)
64 counties (+0)
4,564,419 people tested (+8,228)
15,299,915 test encounters (+42,625)
10,726 deaths among cases (+64)
11,184 deaths due to COVID-19 (+97)
7,736 outbreaks (+75)
The latest hospital data show 1,730 beds in use by patients with confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19, 14 fewer than Tuesday. Colorado’s seven-day average positivity rate was 26.72%. The state’s goal is to remain below 5%.
AAs of Thursday 4,297,018 people have received at least one dose of the vaccine in Colorado and 3,863,072 have been fully vaccinated.
3:57 p.m. | Douglas County School District changing the way it notifies families of COVID-19 outbreaks, changes exposure notifications
The Douglas County School District says it is changing the way it notifies families of COVID-19 outbreaks at their schools and changing the way exposure notifications work district-wide.
Previously, a school would notify the entire school body (families and staff) if an outbreak was determined in the school, DCSD Superintendent Corey Wise wrote in a letter to families Wednesday.
"However, many times an outbreak is contained to a specific grade level or classroom. Sending the outbreak notification to the entire school has created confusion."
Moving forward, Wise said, in the case that an outbreak is determined at a school, only those identified as being a close contact will be notified. These notifications will be sent by the school to the affected parent/guardian and/or staff’s email address, he wrote.
Wise said the adjustment to the outbreak reporting system was made after consultation with the newly-created Douglas County Health Department and aligns with protocols from neighboring districts.
The district also said Wednesday it was changing the way in which exposure notifications worked.
DCSD has been sending out emails to families anytime their child may have been exposed to someone who tested positive or is symptomatic for COVID. But after feedback from families, the district said that effective immediately, it would be discontinuing the exposure email notifications, except in cases of an outbreak (see above).
Families and staff will still be able to see positive cases at the individual school level on the DCSD COVID Tracker.
District officials ask that parents continue to do their part by keeping students home if they show symptoms of illness.
3:11 p.m. | Aurora Public Library announces distribution plans for KN95 masks
Aurora Public Library officials say they've received 4,000 KN95 masks from the state as part of the CDPHE's effort to provide another layer of protection for Coloradans in the wake of the omicron variant.
Here's how they plan to distribute the masks, starting Thursday, Jan. 20:
- Up to five masks per person, per month will be distributed between 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday to Saturday while supplies last
- The library will have 1,000 KN95s at the Central Library, with 600 others at each of the other branches: Hoffman Heights, Martin Luther King Jr., Mission Viejo, Iliff Square, Tallyn’s Reach.
- The Aurora Public Library will post on social media and their website when they run out.
The state backtracked Wednesday after saying a day prior KN95 masks would be available at fire stations, recreation centers, VFWs, YMCAs, and high traffic community centers.
Tuesday, January 18
5:13 p.m. | Latest coronavirus data
Here's the latest COVID-19 data from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
1,146,740 cases (+13,065)
53,978 hospitalized (+90)
64 counties (+0)
4,556,191 people tested (+13,499)
15,257,290 test encounters (+64,060)
10,662 deaths among cases (+3)
11,087 deaths due to COVID-19 (+84)
7,661 outbreaks (+27)
The latest hospital data show 1,744 beds in use by patients with confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19, 20 more than Monday. Colorado’s seven-day average positivity rate was 27.07%. The state’s goal is to remain below 5%.
As of Wednesdayay, 4,292,850 people have received at least one dose of the vaccine in Colorado and 3,860,192 have been fully vaccinated.
3:24 p.m. | Colorado to provide KN95, surgical grade masks for free later this week. Here’s where to get them
If you’re looking to upgrade your mask game but can’t afford higher-quality masks, you may want to go to your local public library later this week to pick some up, free of charge.
The state announced Tuesday it was following in the footsteps of cities like Milwaukee, Wis., and Salt Lake City, Utah, by providing free KN95 and surgical grade masks to Coloradans who may want them as the highly transmissible omicron variant continues to spread across the state.
The masks will be distributed at public libraries, fire stations, recreation centers, VFWs, YMCAs, and high traffic community centers that have agreed to be local distribution points, according to the state’s website. The masks, which will be limited to five masks per person per month, will be available “after Jan. 19, 2022,” the website reads.
“We are on a mission to help Coloradans keep themselves safe, and free medical grade masks are far more effective in preventing infection than cloth masks. By making free medical grade masks available at libraries across our state and soon for home delivery, we are giving Coloradans a powerful tool to avoid infection,” Gov. Polis said in a prepared statement.
This is the first time the state will make higher-quality masks available to the general public. In July of 2020, Polis announced the state would be providing KN95s to teachers across Colorado to fight the spread of COVID-19 in schools. In total, the state delivered more than 1.6 million KN95 masks to Colorado educators.
On Friday, the CDC updated its guidance on masks and encouraged people in the U.S. to wear KN95 or N95 masks to help curb the rapid spread of the omicron variant. A day earlier, President Joe Biden announced that his administration was planning to make these high-quality masks available for free.
10:41 a.m. | Concorde Career College-Aurora to host free COVID-19 vaccination clinic Wednesday
Concorde Career College-Aurora and the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE) are conducting a coronavirus vaccine clinic to serve Denver Metro area residents who want to receive a regular or booster shot. Walk-ins are welcome.
The clinic will offer all three COVID-19 vaccinations (Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson), plus the Pfizer Biotech 3rd does and the Moderna booster. Ages 12 to 17 years old will receive Pfizer. All participants must bring a valid ID and vaccination card.
The vaccination clinic will take place from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at 111 N. Havana St. in Aurora.
Monday, January 17
4 p.m. | Latest coronavirus data
Here's the latest COVID-19 data from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. A reminder that today's state data is an aggregate from the weekend as well as Monday's.
1,133,675 cases (+29,955)
53,888 hospitalized (+603)
64 counties (+0)
4,542,692 people tested (+33,058)
15,193,230 test encounters (172,862)
10,659 deaths among cases (+43)
11,003 deaths due to COVID-19 (+0)
7,634 outbreaks (+44)
The latest hospital data show 1,724 beds in use by patients with confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19, 18 fewer than Sunday. Colorado’s seven-day average positivity rate was 27.47%. The state’s goal is to remain below 5%.
As of Tuesdayy, 4,290,703 people have received at least one dose of the vaccine in Colorado and 3,858,667 have been fully vaccinated.
9:58 a.m. | Kiowa Schools transitioning to remote learning due to additional COVID-19 cases among students
Kiowa Schools is transitioning to remote learning beginning Tuesday until next Monday "as a result of several additional known cases of COVID-19 among students and staff at Kiowa Schools," district leadership announced in a news release Monday.
Elbert County's 7-day average positivity rate was 30.08% Monday. Federal, state and local health officials recommend the positivity rate remain below 5% to curb transmission of the virus.
9:36 a.m. | Rep. Dianna DeGette tests positive for COVID-19
Colorado Democratic Rep. Diana DeGette said Monday she tested positive for COVID-19.
"Thankfully, I am fully vaccinated and boosted and experiencing mild symptoms," she tweeted, adding she will remain self-isolated and will work from home in Denver this week.
Click here for the COVID-19 live blog for Jan. 10-Jan. 16, 2021.
