More than 458,000 people in Colorado have tested positive for COVID-19 and 25,351 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, April 4
4 :20 p.m. | Positivity rate tops 5% again
Colorado’s seven-day average positivity rate hit 5.11% on Saturday and is above the 5% threshold again for the first time since late January, according to the latest COVID-19 data from Colorado.
468,121 cases (+1,220)
25,766 hospitalized (+9)
64 counties (+0)
2,751,634 people tested (+5,246)
7,098,711 test encounters (+21,772)
6,126 deaths among cases (+2)
6,253 deaths due to COVID-19 (+0)
4,329 outbreaks (+0)
The latest hospital data showed 376 hospital beds in use by confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients, 18 more than Saturday. The seven-day average positivity rate was 5.11% on Saturday. The state’s goal is to remain below 5%.
As of Sunday, 1,825,918 people have received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and 1,098,434 people are fully immunized.
Saturday, April 3
4 p.m. | Latest COVID-19 data
Here is the latest data from the CDPHE for Saturday, with the changes from Friday in parentheses.
466,901 cases (+1,571)
25,757 hospitalized (+68)
64 counties (+0)
2,746,388 people tested (+7,416)
7,076,939 test encounters (+39,505)
6,124 deaths among cases (+6)
6,253 deaths due to COVID-19 (+0)
4,329 outbreaks (+3)
The latest hospital data showed 358 beds in use by confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients, 18 fewer than Friday.
As of Saturday, 1,774,339 people have received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and 1,075,905 people are fully immunized.
Friday, April 2
7:35 p.m. | Boulder County updates facial covering order
Following the latest mask mandate from the state, Boulder County Public Health has updated their facial covering order to remove outdoor requirements.
The health department said they based their decision on increasing vaccinations, particularly of vulnerable populations. Though not required by law, officials still recommend wearing a facial covering outside if social distancing cannot be maintained.
The updated order still requires facial coverings in indoor public spaces at all times for anyone 10 and older regardless of vaccination status or group size.
4:12 p.m. | Latest COVID-19 data
After seeing a spring low of 3.27% positivity rate on March 10, Colorado's current seven-day average is getting closer to surpassing the state's goal of remaining below 5%, though current hospitalizations did decrease Friday.
Here is the latest data from the CDPHE for Friday, with the changes from Thursday in parentheses.
465,330 cases (+1,645)
25,689 hospitalized (+205)
64 counties (+0)
2,738,972 people tested (+6,357)
7,037,434 test encounters (+34,450)
6,118 deaths among cases (+1)
6,253 deaths due to COVID-19 (+3)
4,326 outbreaks (+24)
The latest hospital data showed 376 beds in use by confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients, 6 fewer than Thursday. Colorado's seven-day average positivity rate was 4.75% on Thursday. The state's goal is to remain below 5%.
As of Friday, 1,731,638 people have received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and 1,045,849 people have received two doses.
3:46 p.m. | Colorado lifting mask requirement in many public places in counties with lowest case counts
Gov. Jared Polis on Friday extended the statewide mask requirement for another 30 days, but the latest iteration allows counties in Level Green – generally the state’s least populous counties – to lift the requirements in many public places.
The executive order will still require all counties, no matter their level on the state’s COVID response dial, to have mask requirements in place in schools, child care centers, indoor children’s camps, state government facilities, personal services locations like hair and nail salons and tattoo parlors, certain health care settings like hospitals and doctors’ offices, congregate care facilities, prisons and jails.
The mask requirement will still be in place for schools because children under 16 are not yet approved to receive the vaccine, and Colorado wants to keep as many students learning in-person for the rest of the schoolyear.
Additionally, masks will be required in public indoor settings where 10 or more unvaccinated people or people with unknown vaccination statuses are present in counties in Level Blue through Level Purple on the state’s dial.
As of Friday afternoon, 31 counties were in Level Green. People in those counties will be able to remove their masks outside of the aforementioned settings in which they will still need to be worn.
The state said that there are about 238,000 people living in those 31 counties currently in Level Green. There are about 5.5 million people living in counties in levels Blue through Purple, meaning the vast majority of the state’s population will have to continue wearing face coverings for the time being.
The mask requirements do not apply to children age 10 and younger. Local municipalities may also implement stronger mask requirements, according to the executive order.
Gov. Polis had said at his previous news conference on Monday that he was considering extending the mask mandate, which was set to expire on Saturday, for two weeks before handing over control to local governments, but the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment hinted Thursday that Friday’s 30-day extension would be forthcoming.
The state says the modifications to the mandate are being made because more Coloradans continue to receive doses of the vaccines. As of Thursday, more than 1 million Coloradans were fully vaccinated, and the state opened up vaccine eligibility for everyone over age 16 starting Friday.
“Here in Colorado we are making incredible progress with getting vaccines into arms and protecting our most vulnerable, but until everyone can get the vaccine and our COVID cases are reduced, taking precautions to prevent a surge in cases and further spread of the disease is the smart thing to do and the right thing to do and helps keep everything open,” Polis said in a statement.
President Joe Biden and CDC officials have criticized states that have fully lifted their mask requirements.
Colorado’s case counts and hospitalizations have plateaued in recent weeks as well, causing some concern among public health officials about loosening restrictions too quickly as case numbers rise sharply in some other states and as the virus mutates into more infectious variants.
And even in small counties, like Custer County, which lifted its restrictions but has since seen an uptick in COVID cases, even among the county board of health and county commissioners, officials have said that people should not led their guard down against the virus.
The state is still pushing people to wear masks in indoor settings and around others, and businesses will be able to make their own rules when it comes to masks, along with the local municipalities.
“By continuing to wear our masks in public indoor settings around others, we can safely enjoy the activities we love and keep our economy open. Every community has been impacted differently by this pandemic, and we want to ensure this order is reflective of that,” Polis said Friday.
Denver Mayor Michael Hancock said Thursday that the city would require masks at least into early May, and likely longer. Denver Department of Public Health and Environment Executive Director Bob McDonald said the city will likely keep indoor capacity limits in place to some extent for the foreseeable future as well.
Making the jump from current Level Yellow restrictions to no restrictions and no masks "would be a mistake," McDonald said.
Click here to read the full story.
9:50 a.m. | FEMA provides $108M to Colorado for COVID-19 response
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has provided an additional $108 million in public assistance funding for Colorado. The assistance was made available under a major disaster declaration issued March 28, 2020.
In total, FEMA has provided $514 million to the state for COVID-19 help.
The new $108 million was approved for COVID-19-associated costs, contracts, and facilities for:
- Colorado DHS and Emergency Management: $19.4 million
- The City and County of Denver: $9.7 million
- Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment: $79.4 million
6 a.m. | Here's how you can sign up in Colorado, with general public eligible today
Starting today, every adult in Colorado will be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. The expanded access is a milestone for the state's vaccination efforts — by far, the largest group of eligible people to receive the shot.
But keep a little patience in mind if you're eager to get the vaccine. The state is still working to vaccinate many people from the large 1B.4 phase, which includes 50-and-older residents and essential workers, such as grocery store employees.
Click here to learn more in English. Lea esta historia en español.
Thursday, April 1
9:33 p.m. | Polis plans to sign new, modified mask order
With the current state mask order set to expire April 3, the Colorado Department of Health and Environment (CDPHE) says Gov. Jared Polis plans to sign a new mask order.
However, CDPHE said the new, 30-day order will be "modified to account for where we are in the pandemic, the varied cases count by county, and the feedback we have received through public comment."
CDPHE did not provide further details on the specifics of the upcoming order.
4:37 p.m. | Latest COVID-19 data
After seeing significant drops in numbers following the fall wave, Colorado's current seven-day average positivity rate and hospitalizations are inching up.
Here is the latest data from the CDPHE for Thursday, with the changes from Wednesday in parentheses.
463,685 cases (+1,604)
25,484 hospitalized (+67)
64 counties (+0)
2,732,615 people tested (+7,176)
7,002,984 test encounters (+37,387)
6,117 deaths among cases (+10)
6,250 deaths due to COVID-19 (+12)
4,302 outbreaks (+16)
The latest hospital data showed 382 beds in use by confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients, 15 more than Wednesday. Colorado's seven-day average positivity rate was 4.50% on Wednesday. The state's goal is to remain below 5%.
As of Thursday, 1,696,770 people have received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and 1,022,873 people have received two doses.
11:05 a.m. | COVID-19 vaccine appointment finder through UnitedHealthcare
UniteHealthcare has launched a free online tool to help both members an non-members find a vaccine appointment near them. The tool is available in English and Spanish.
Just type in your zip code and the tool will help you sign up for vaccine alerts and find vaccine resources. In some places, it will allow you to schedule an appointment directly. Click here to try it.
9:40 a.m. | Update on COVID-19 in Denver
Mayor Michael B. Hancock and Public Health & Environment Executive Director Bob McDonald will provide an update on Denver’s response to COVID-19 today at 3:30 p.m. They will discuss current data and trends, vaccine distribution, and local plan planning for the state’s revised public health measures.
Denver7 will stream this on our mobile, Roku, Apple TV and Amazon Fire apps, website and Facebook page.
7:35 a.m. | Unemployment in Colorado
The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment reported today that an estimated 10,268 regular initial unemployment claims were filed during the week ending March 27. There were also 1,747 Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) initial claims filed for the same week.
Since mid-March 2020, an estimated total of 891,429 regular initial unemployment claims have been filed and a grand total of 1,152,970 claims, when the PUA program is included.
For the week ending on March 20, the number of continued weeks requested totalled 278,771. That includes the following totals by UI program: regular UI (94,680), PUA (85,796), and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) (98,295).
CDLE estimates those continued claims were filed by approximately 220,185 individuals (87,112 for regular UI; 56,765 for PUA, and 76,308 for PEUC).
Wednesday, March 31
10:21 p.m. | CDOC providing $500 incentive for staff to get vaccinated
The Colorado Department of Corrections is providing a one-time $500 incentive for staff who choose to get the vaccine.
As of Tuesday, 2,787 staff members, approximately 44%, have received at least their first dose. CDOC is holding vaccination clinics regularly to help increase that number. So far, 5,580 inmates have received at least the first dose of the vaccine in accordance with the state's plan.
Vaccination numbers at CDOC are posted on their public dashboard, which is updated daily.
Staff who have a medical or religious exemption are still eligible to receive the incentive.
9:16 p.m. | Weld County health department looking for vaccine clinic volunteers
The Weld County Health Department of Public Health and Environment is looking for volunteers to help with COVID-19 vaccination clinics.
With vaccine eligibility expanding to anyone 16 and up beginning April 2, the department is looking to increase their number of vaccination clinics, but need the volunteers to do so.
The department is looking for non-medical volunteers 18 and up to help with various duties, like greeting vaccine recipients, taking temperatures, directing line flow, stocking supplies and sanitizing areas.
The clinics are in Evans at the Sunrise Monfort Family Clinic on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, as well as their south county offices in Longmont at 4209 County Road 24 1/2 on Wednesdays. Shifts will be available starting the week of April 5.
Anyone interested can email VxProvider@co.weld.co.us.
7:19 p.m. | Health officials say J&J COVID-19 vaccine mix up will have little impact on Colorado
A mix-up at a Baltimore plant set to manufacture Johnson & Johnson’s one-shot coronavirus vaccine will have little impact on Colorado, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
The CDPHE said, "We have already received our vaccine allocation for the week, so current appointments will not be affected. It is our understanding that today’s news out of the Baltimore plant does not affect the Johnson & Johnson vaccines that are currently being distributed and administered nationwide as these doses were not produced at that plant. We understand there will be no shipments from the Baltimore facility while quality control issues are resolved."
Emergent BioSolutions, one of the companies making the vaccine, accidentally conflated the vaccine's ingredients several weeks ago, according to a report in the New York Times. The mix-up forced regulators to delay authorizing the plant’s production line.
Story: https://bit.ly/3rK4yeB
6:35 p.m. | VA opens walk-in COVID-19 vaccination site in Aurora
VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System (ECHCS) is now offering enrolled Veterans a morning walk-in COVID-19 vaccine clinic in Aurora, as well as an ability to initiate a scheduling process with a text message.
From Monday through Saturday, Veterans enrolled in VA ECHCS may get a COVID-19 vaccination without an appointment by visiting the health care system’s mass vaccination site at 14280 E. Jewell Avenue in Aurora between 9 a.m. and noon.
4 p.m. | Colorado reports more than 1,700 new cases of COVID-19 in a single day as state reports over 1 million people have been fully vaccinated
The state of Colorado reported more than 1,700 new cases of COVID-19 in 24 hours as hospitalizations continue to remain above 300 for both suspected and confirmed cases of COVID-19, a number which hasn't decreased since March 14. Here is the latest data from the CDPHE.
462,081 cases (+1,763)
25,417 hospitalized (+29)
64 counties (+0)
2,725,439 people tested (+6,371)
6,965,597 test encounters (+31,596)
6,107 deaths among cases (+8)
6,238 deaths due to COVID-19 (+12)
4,286 outbreaks (+26)
The latest hospital data showed 367 beds in use by confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients, 8 more than Tuesday. Colorado's seven-day average positivity rate was 4.28% on Tuesday. The state's goal is to remain below 5%.
As of Wednesday, 1,664,790 people have received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and 1,005,276 people have received two doses.
9:07 a.m. | CherryArts postpones Cherry Creek Arts Festival
CherryArts announced Wednesday morning that the annual Cherry Creek Arts Festival, which was scheduled for July 2, 3 and 4, will be postponed.
The event is now planned for Labor Day weekend — Sept. 4, 5 and 6. It is relocating to the creekside area of the Cherry Creek Shopping Center, across First Avenue.
This will be the 30th annual event after canceling the celebration in 2020. Click here for more details about the event.
Tuesday, March 30
6:57 p.m. | Polis extends state tax filing deadline
Gov. Jared Polis signed an executive order that allows Colorado taxpayers to file their state income tax returns by the extended deadline of May 17, 2021, to align with the deadline extension for federal tax returns.
4 p.m. | Latest COVID-19 numbers
Here are the latest coronavirus numbers for Colorado, as of 4 p.m. Tuesday, with the change from Monday in parentheses:
460,318 cases (+957)
25,388 hospitalized (+21)
64 counties (+0)
2,719,068 people tested (+3,549)
6,934,001 test encounters (+14,299)
6,099 deaths among cases (+7)
6,226 deaths due to COVID-19 (+18)
4,260 outbreaks (+16)
The latest hospital data showed 375 beds in use by confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients. Colorado's seven-day average positivity rate for COVID-19 cases on Monday was 4.09%. The state's goal is to remain below 5%.
As of Tuesday, 1,634,183 people in Colorado have received at least one dose of the vaccine, and 987,088 people are fully immunized.
Monday, March 29
10:27 p.m. | Gilpin County moving to Level Green on state's COVID-19 Dial
Colorado's newest COVID-19 Dial 3.0 framework puts Gilpin County in Level Green, according to the Gilpin County Sheriff's Office.
The new dial and public health order were released on March 23, which loosened restrictions.
8:27 p.m. | Mile High United Way offering free rides to vaccinations
Mile High United Way is offering free Lyft rides for anyone who needs to get to a non-emergency appointment, including vaccinations.
Anyone interested can call or text Mile High United Way's 2-1-1 help center. The resource is free, multilingual and confidential through a partnership with Lyft Relief Rides.
For more information, click here.
4:45 p.m. | ¿Tienes preguntas sobre las vacunas contra el Covid-19? El gobernador y un experto en el tema las responderán en un panel virtual este lunes
Miembros del Grupo de Trabajo de Equidad de Vacunas del estado de Colorado ofrecerán un panel virtual para la comunidad Latinx de Colorado en donde responderán cualquier pregunta que tenga sobre las vacunas contra el Covid-19.
Entre los panelistas de este panel virtual se encuentran: El gobernador Jared Polis; el Dr. Edwin Asturias, un especialista en enfermedades infecciosas pediátricas de la Universidad de Colorado, y quien manejó la respuesta ante la pandemia y el proceso de vacunación en Guatemala; y Virginia Garcia, coordinadora de divulgación comunitaria praa 9HealthFair.
Para participar, dele clic a este vínculo de Zoom.
4 p.m. | Latest COVID-19 data from Colorado
459,361 cases (+807)
25,367 hospitalized (+15)
64 counties (+0)
2,715,519 people tested (+3,391)
6,919,702 test encounters (+10,420)
6,092 deaths among cases (+0)
6,208 deaths due to COVID-19 (+12)
4,244 outbreaks (+9)
The latest hospital data showed 382 beds in use by confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients, 7 more than Sunday. Colorado's seven-day average positivity rate was 4.09% on Saturday. The state's goal is to remain below 5%.
As of Monday, 1,607,282 people have received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and 969,049 people have received two doses.
9:40 a.m. | Kaiser Permanente announces way to help seniors get transportation to vaccine
Many seniors around Colorado have difficulty finding or paying for transportation to go get their vaccine. Kaiser Permanente has announced new support to alleviate cost and increase availability of transportation options along the Front Range for seniors to get their COVID-19 vaccination. It will collaborate with eight transportation service providers and will provide $45,000 to ensure seniors with Medicare and other older adults can get a ride to receive their vaccination.
The eight companies are:
- Via Mobility Services (Boulder and most of the Denver metro area)
- Aging Resources of Douglas County
- Castle Rock Senior Activity Center
- Silver Key (Colorado Springs)
- Envida (Colorado Springs)
- Senior Resource Development Agency (Pueblo)
- Senior Alternatives in Transportation (Fort Collins/Loveland)
- 60+ Ride (Weld County)
In addition, Kaiser Permanente recently gave $310,000 to four local safety net health care providers along the Front Range to help advance virtual care delivery for underserved communities in Colorado. They are:
- Colorado Coalition for the Homeless
- Denver Health and Hospital Authority
- STRIDE Community Health Center
- Clinica Family Health Services
9:35 a.m. | Colorado Vaccine Equity Taskforce encourages Latinx community to join Spanish-language panel
Members of the Colorado Vaccine Equity Taskforce are offering an opportunity for Spanish-speaking members of the Latinx community to hear from Dr. Edwin Asturias, a leading COVID expert, plus Gov. Jared Polis about COVID-19 vaccines. They can also ask their questions.
Asturias is a pediatric infectious disease specialist with the University of Colorado.
You can join the panel by clicking here today at 5 p.m.
Click here for the COVID-19 live blog for March 22-March 28, 2021.
