More than 1,392,800 people in Colorado have tested positive for COVID-19 and more than 62,100 have been hospitalized as of Monday, 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:
Friday, May 13
4 p.m. | Latest coronavirus data
Here's the latest COVID-19 data from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
1,407,405 cases (+1,879)
62,451 hospitalized (+103)
64 counties (+0)
4,885,716 people tested (+4,999)
17,608,421 test encounters (+47,543)
12,513 deaths among cases (+5)
13,269 deaths due to COVID-19 (+4)
8,765 outbreaks (+14)
The latest hospital data, which the state is now updating only on Wednesdays, shows 116 beds in use by patients with confirmed cases of COVID-19, 6 more than a week ago. Colorado’s seven-day average positivity rate was 7.94%. The state’s goal is to remain below 5%.
As of Friday, 4,475,160 people have received at least one dose of the vaccine in Colorado and 4,040,922 have been fully vaccinated.
3:22 p.m. | COVID-19 modeling report: Colorado cases increasing due to BA.2.12.1 sublineage, hospitalizations may reach 500 or more by mid-June
The recent rise in cases of the novel coronavirus in Colorado are most likely being driven by the BA.2.12.1 sublineage of the omicron variant, and its increased transmissibility could result in 500 or more hospitalizations by mid-June, according to the latest projections from modelers at the Colorado School of Public Health.
The state's modeling team confirmed Friday what data from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) has been showing for the past several weeks: Infections of SARS-CoV-2 in Colorado are on a relatively slow upward trend across the state as data shows an increase in wastewater data, positivity rate and statewide hospitalizations.
The latest modeling report, suggests the BA.2.12.1 sublineage of the omicron variant will soon become dominant in Colorado. As of Friday, state data showed 19.19% of all cases sequenced by state labs were from this particular sublineage, which experts believe is 25% more transmissible than BA.2 — a variant that's already 30% more transmissible than the original omicron variant, which was first identified in South Africa in late November of 2021.
BA.2.12.1 is estimated to be approximately 1.2 to 1.5 times more infectious than BA.1, according to several studies, and experts believe its transmissibility is leading to greater immune escape from vaccination or prior infection — even those who've been infected with a different version of the omicron variant, which could explain the rapid growth of this sublineage over BA.2, the modelers wrote.
Little is known about how severe BA.2.12.1 could be, but studies suggest it is similar to the original omicron variant in terms of virulence, vaccine effectiveness and immune escape.
About 1 in 108 to 1 in 149 Coloradans are currently infectious with SARS-CoV-2, the state's modeling team wrote, compared to the previous estimate for April 12, which was 1 in 375.
Hospitalizations for COVID-19 are also expected to increase over the coming weeks and could reach 500 or more beds in use by mid-June, modelers projected, putting some strain on Colorado's health care system but "not nearly to the degree experienced during prior surges," they wrote, as Coloradans continue to exhibit high levels of protection from the most severe outcomes due to immunity from vaccination or prior infection.
Modelers also estimated that immunity to infection with BA.2.12.1 is approximately 65-70% among Coloradans, but that was assuming BA.2.12.1 has high immune escape. Immunity to severe disease is well above 80% in the Colorado population overall and somewhat higher among those 65+, they said.
Lastly, the state's modeling team estimated that approximately 8,000 to 9,000 SARS-CoV-2 cases will be reported at the peak of this wave and approximately 45,000 tests per day may be needed, with peak demand expected to occur in June.
To view the full report, click here.
12:57 p.m. | Denver, 2 other Colorado counties raise COVID-19 community level to Medium as cases of the coronavirus increase
Denver and two other Colorado counties raised their COVID-19 community level risk to "medium" Friday, underscoring the need to remain vigilant as the BA.2 sublineage of the omicron variant continues to drive up cases across Colorado.
Denver Department of Public Health and Environment (DDPHE) officials said in a news release Friday residents should consider taking more precautions as the number of COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people have now exceeded 200, shifting the COVID-19 community level from low to medium, per the latest guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The new guidelines — based on lagging indicators such as the number hospital beds being used and the number hospital admissions, instead of leading indicators (such as the total number of new COVID-19 cases in an area) — recommend that people living in a county with "medium" COVID-19 community risk talk to their doctor about whether they need to wear a mask and take other precautions. They also suggest people stay up-to-date with their COVID-19 vaccinations and get tested if you experience cold-like symptoms.
Denver's one-week incidence rate of cases per 100,000 people as of Friday was 209. The county's 7-day average positivity rate stood at 7.95%, nearly 3 percentage points above what is recommended by officials to curb transmission of the virus.
Earlier Friday, Boulder Conty Public Health officials said in a news release the shift in their county's COVID-19 community level to "medium" indicates the risk of getting infected with the novel virus is increasing in the community, and additional measures to curb transmission are recommended to keep other safe and limit the strain on healthcare systems in Boulder County.
Among the recommendatio to keep yourself and others safe as cases continue to increase:
- Get vaccinated and stay up-to-date on your COVID-19 vaccinations
- Get tested before gathering with someone at high risk of severe disease, hospitalization, or death due to COVID-19
- Increase the airflow and ventilation in indoor environments by opening windows or using HEPA filters to improve air quality inside your home, or if gathering, move activities outdoors
- Wear a well-fitted, high-quality medical-grade mask
- Wash your hands thoroughly for at least 20 seconds
- Follow the county's isolation and quarantine guidelines if you test positive.
Mineral County in southwestern Colorado is the third county under COVID-19 Level Medium, per the CDC's COVID-19 county map. The previous CDC guidelines, which focused solely on the level of community transmission, shows a large chunk of the state is under a level of risk where the use of a face mask is recommended
Data from the state shows the BA.2 sublineage of the omicron variant accounts for nearly three quarters of all infections in Colorado, while its cousin, BA.2.12.1 — which is believed to be 25% more transmissible than BA.2 — makes up nearly 20% of all infections.
BA.2.12.1 is set to become the dominant variant in the U.S. by the end of this week.
Thursday, May 12
4 p.m. | Latest coronavirus data
Here's the latest COVID-19 data from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, which added a batch of 7,810 backlogged cases from the omicron surge to today's data. In total, the state registered more than 2,300 new daily cases - figures not seen since early February.
1,405,526 cases (+10,318)
62,348 hospitalized (+88)
64 counties (+0)
4,880,717 people tested (+0)
17,560,878 test encounters (+0)
12,508 deaths among cases (+5)
13,265 deaths due to COVID-19 (+8)
8,751 outbreaks (+20)
The latest hospital data, which the state is now updating only on Wednesdays, shows 116 beds in use by patients with confirmed cases of COVID-19, 6 more than a week ago. Colorado’s seven-day average positivity rate was 7.45%. The state’s goal is to remain below 5%.
AsAs of Friday4,474,430 people have received at least one dose of the vaccine in Colorado and 4,040,274 have been fully vaccinated.
Wednesday, May 11
4 p.m. | Latest coronavirus data
Here's the latest COVID-19 data from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
1,395,208 cases (+1,005)
62,260 hospitalized (+31)
64 counties (+0)
4,880,717 people tested (+1,184)
17,552,279 test encounters (+8,599)
12,503 deaths among cases (+6)
13,257 deaths due to COVID-19 (+1)
8,731 outbreaks (+18)
The latest hospital data, which the state is now updating only on Wednesdays, shows 116 beds in use by patients with confirmed cases of COVID-19, 6 more than a week ago. Colorado’s seven-day average positivity rate was 7.45%. The state’s goal is to remain below 5%.
AAs of Thursday 4,473,765 people have received at least one dose of the vaccine in Colorado and 4,039,573 have been fully vaccinated.
Tuesday, May 10
4 p.m. | Latest coronavirus data
Here's the latest COVID-19 data from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
1,394,203 cases (+1,316)
62,229 hospitalized (+31)
64 counties (+0)
4,879,533 people tested (+1,666)
17,552,279 test encounters (+10,184)
12,497 deaths among cases (+8)
13,256 deaths due to COVID-19 (+9)
8,731 outbreaks (+27)
The latest hospital data, which the state is now updating only on Wednesdays, shows 110 beds in use by patients with confirmed cases of COVID-19, 7 more than a week ago. Colorado’s seven-day average positivity rate was 6.81%. The state’s goal is to remain below 5%.
As of Wednesdayay, 4,473,095 people have received at least one dose of the vaccine in Colorado and 4,038,938 have been fully vaccinated.
Monday, May 9
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.
1,392,887 cases (+3,061)
62,198 hospitalized (+43)
64 counties (+0)
4,877,867 people tested (+4,858)
17,542,095 test encounters (+44,253)
12,489 deaths among cases (+2)
13,247 deaths due to COVID-19 (+7)
8,704 outbreaks (+21)
The latest hospital data, which the state is now updating only on Wednesdays, shows 110 beds in use by patients with confirmed cases of COVID-19, 7 more than a week ago. Colorado’s seven-day average positivity rate was 6.62%. The state’s goal is to remain below 5%.
As of Tuesdayy, 4,472,133 people have received at least one dose of the vaccine in Colorado and 4,038,267 have been fully vaccinated.
Click here for the COVID-19 live blog for May 2-May 8, 2022.
