Coronavirus in Colorado: COVID-19 updates for Nov. 9-Nov. 15, 2020

More than 130,000 people have been infected with coronavirus in Colorado since the onset of the pandemic, according to the latest data from 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, Nov. 15

4:11 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.

163,417 cases (+4,184)
11,124 hospitalized (+68)
64 counties (+0)
1,454,824 tested (+18,619)
2,523,752 test encounters (+38,301)
2,546 deaths among cases (+21)
2,234 deaths due to COVID-19 (+0)
1,650 outbreaks (+13)

The latest hospital data showed 1,417 beds in use by COVID-19 patients or suspected COVID-19 patients. Saturday's three-day average positivity rate in Colorado was 13.48%. The state's goal is to remain below 5%.

Saturday, Nov. 14

4:31 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.

159,234 cases (+5,196)
11,056 hospitalized (+195)
64 counties (+0)
1,436,205 tested (+20,319)
2,485,451 test encounters (+41,852)
2,525 deaths among cases (+21)
2,234 deaths due to COVID-19 (+0)
1,637 outbreaks (+40)

The latest hospital data showed 1,325 beds in use by COVID-19 patients or suspected COVID-19 patients. Friday's three-day average positivity rate in Colorado was 13.23%. The state's goal is to remain below 5%.

3:52 p.m. | Westminster Public Schools will continue with remote learning

Westminster Public Schools will continue with remote learning through the winter break, the district announced Saturday. The district moved all schools to remote learning for two weeks starting Oct. 28.

However, “because of dangerously high COVID-19 levels in Adams County and indications that public health officials will order a new round of restrictions to try and slow the spread of the virus, Westminster Public Schools has made the difficult decision to suspend in-person learning through the winter break,” the district said in a statement.

Friday, Nov. 13

8:53 p.m. | Larimer County issues Emergency Public Health Order to supress coronavirus, maintain hospital capacity

Larimer County Public Health has enacted an emergency public health order beginning at 11 p.m. Friday. The following is now in effect:

Restaurants:

• Indoor dining is limited to a maximum of eight people per table. Residents are encouraged to have no more than two households per table. Restaurants are still required to follow all other State of Colorado COVID-19 Dial Level Yellow requirements.
• No food or beverage service at bars. Customers may not stand or sit at bar. Tableside service is allowed.
• Once the capacity for restaurants and bars is met, reservations are required. No indoor waiting areas for restaurants or bars.
• Restaurants and bars are now required to collect contact information for customers and provide LCDHE with that information weekly at larimer.org/health.

Sports and gyms:

• Organized recreational and league sports are limited to 2 spectators per player with no more than 50% of capacity, up to 50 spectators in indoor facilities and 175 in outdoor facilities.
• Gyms are required to provide attendance for classes that take place in their facility. This includes any class operated with 5 or more people. These attendance lists must be submitted at larimer.org/health and need to be completed weekly.

"The most important thing people can do right now to help our nurses, doctors and our hospitals is to take precautions – wear masks, wash hands, watch your distance around others, and avoid large gatherings of people,” says Kevin Unger, president and CEO of UCHealth Northern Colorado Region. “Most importantly, please isolate yourself even for minor symptoms of COVID-19 to avoid transmitting the virus to others. We really need everyone to take this seriously."

The County currently sits at Safer at Home Level Yellow (2) of Colorado’s Dial Framework. A retreat to Level Orange (3) would trigger a range of new restrictions, including tighter capacity limits on offices, businesses, restaurants and houses of worship; group sports, gyms and bars, and for events, county health officials said in a news release Friday.

6:43 p.m. | Mesa County Detention Facility outbreak

The Mesa County Sheriff’s Office said Friday that after its medical provider tested all inmates in two housing units, at least 61 inmates have already tested positive, with test results still pending for some.

Additionally, eight employees at the detention center have tested positive, along with two other members of the sheriff’s office.

The testing was performed after six inmates tested positive for COVID-19.

The sheriff’s office said that positive inmates are in isolation, and their close contacts in quarantine from the rest of the population.

There are six separate housing units at the jail, and the sheriff’s office says it put more measures in place to limit people’s movement within the facilities.

The sheriff’s office said inmates have all been issued personal protective equipment, that staff are screened daily and required to wear PPE at all times.

“While the number of positive cases has grown, this is what we planned and prepared for. We are diligently working in coordination with Mesa County Public Health and our medical provider to provide the best care possible and implement strategies to slow the spread of the virus,” said Sheriff Matt Lewis. “I want families of those in the detention facility to know our mission has not changed. The health and safety of those in our care is our priority.”

6:31 p.m. | Weld RE-5J Schools going remote on Monday

Starting Monday, all Weld RE-5J Schools will be in remote learning until at least Jan. 6, 2021.

“The COVID-19 positivity rate in Weld County now exceeds 15 percent, our school district's positivity rate is 14%, and the number of positive cases and hospitalizations in Weld County continues to increase at an alarming rate,” the district superintendent said in a letter to families. “We have seen a significant increase in positive cases among students and staff. Many of our schools have already been forced to go fully remote. To support the safety and well-being of our staff, students, and community members, we must make this move to remote learning.”

Monday will be a non-instructional day for KQA, Letford Elementary, Pioneer Elementary and MMS, but not for RHS or Milliken Elementary School, the district said, in order to give staff time to prepare.

Nutrition services for the district will start delivering meals via bus routes on Monday, and people can still pick up meals at schools.

The district says it is not able to provide childcare during the remote learning period.

“We do not have substitutes to cover for our teacher absences and when many students are out of the building waiting for tests, it makes it difficult for our teachers in the building to continue instruction,” Superintendent Leslie Arnold wrote in the note to parents. “Most of the cases we are seeing in our schools are linked back to a positive family member, a weekend get-together, a Halloween party, or a student or staff member who came to the school while sick.”

Arnold said the district was planning to start administering free COVID-19 checks after Thanksgiving break. A decision for the next semester will be communicated at the board meeting on Dec. 14.

“Please take care of yourselves and your loved ones as we continue to monitor the spread of COVID-19 in the community and country. And please, help us help your children be successful in this remote learning environment,” Arnold said.

6:25 p.m. | Colorado medical professionals discuss surge planning

Elizabeth Carlton, a professor of public health at CU Anschutz, told Denver7 Friday that she expects to see continued growth of hospitalizations over the next few weeks.

“Even if everybody were to just bubble up and stay home right this instant, hospitalizations would probably keep rising for a couple of weeks because there are infections already baked into the system,” she said.

She said at the current trajectory, Colorado could certainly risk overwhelming the number of ICU beds in the state if people do not start limiting their interactions during the exponential growth period.

“To be totally honest with people, I think we’re playing on this team for a while to come,” Carlton said. “But the sooner we can all get on the same team and work together to control the virus, the sooner we can get out of this problem.”

Ryan Thornton, the Chief Nursing Executive for HealthONE, echoed similar sentiments about growth in the next few weeks but said he was optimistic – if Coloradans do their part.

“Right now, our hospital systems in HealthONE are sitting right at that near-full level, but not at full yet,” he said. “We have lots of plans to be able to surge internally our hospitals, and also surge among the health systems and how we’re coordinating that both in the urban centers and in the rural centers.”

He said the HealthONE models currently predict they will be able to handle the capacity, staffing and equipment for the surge and that the spring surged had taught “some lessons” being applied in health care systems now. But he, as other medical professionals have, stressed that human behavior would be the key.

“Again, the big factor that’s out there is how well people will do at social distancing,” Thornton said.

Click here to read more.

5:54 p.m. | Thompson School District moving remote on Nov. 23

The Thompson School District is the latest district to move its students to remote learning. The district will do so effective Monday, Nov. 23 until at least Tuesday, Jan. 5.

“Although the number of isolations and quarantines in our district remains lower than in many other parts of the community, our concern for the health and safety of students and staff has grown to a level where we feel that we must take additional steps to help keep people safe,” the district said in a message to families.

Small groups of children with specific learning goals will remain in person, the district said.

The district said it was getting harder to get enough substitute teachers to account for the number of teachers on isolation or quarantine, and that the movement of students and teachers in and out of isolation or quarantine was creating a “discontinuity of teaching and learning.”

The district said that the ability for students to return to in-person classes “will depend largely on how the pandemic affects our community between now and then” and said officials would communicate what will happen for the next semester on Friday, Dec. 18.

4:57 p.m. | Banner Health will no longer allow visitors starting Monday

Visitors will no longer be allowed in any Banner Health Northern Colorado location effective Nov. 16 at places such as clinics, urgent cares, imaging centers, surgery centers and occupational health services locations to "create a safe and secure environment for our patients and our health care workers during the COVID-19 outbreak."

Three exemptions were noted by officials:

• Pediatric patients (under the age of 18) may have one adult visitor with them.
• Laboring mothers may have one support person with them.
• Individuals with physical or cognitive limitations or disabilities who require support may have one adult visitor with them.

Visitors will be subject to a health screening at all locations to ensure they are not exhibiting symptoms of respiratory illness.

4:18 p.m. | Polis to issue executive order outlining steps for COVID-19 hospital surge capacity

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis will issue a new executive order outlining steps hospitals will need to take to ready themselves for a surge in COVID-19 hospitalizations and directing the hospitals to finalize plans for converting beds into ICU beds, adding staffing and scaling back on or eliminating elective procedures.

The new order, which Polis discussed at a news conference Friday afternoon but has yet to be issued as of publication, will direct all hospitals in the state to submit plans to the state next week – with a Nov. 18 deadline for hospitals to submit plans on the maximum surge count and a Nov. 20 deadline for the complete plan to surge their capacities, the governor said.

The hospitals will have to have a plan to increase their bed capacities by 50% — something Polis said many hospitals had already been working on — how they can transition medical and surgical beds into ICU beds; how to treat patients without COVID-19 who need ICU beds; submit plans for how to surge staffing; report the maximum number of non-ICU and ICU beds to the state on a rolling basis; and have a plan on how they will manage, reduce, delay or put a moratorium on elective surgeries, Polis said.

Polis said he had also ordered the state Emergency Operations Center back to Level 1 status – the highest response level – to coordinate the state’s coronavirus response with local and federal agencies.

The moves at the state level comes as Colorado again sees its highest daily number of COVID-19 positive tests – 6,439 cases will be reported Friday accounting for Thursday’s data, Polis said – and 1,159 people hospitalized with confirmed coronavirus cases in the state.

“These are our darkest days as a state,” Polis said of the latest numbers.

The governor said about 1 in 110 people in Colorado are estimated to currently have the coronavirus, and said those rates are even higher in Adams (1 in 58) and Denver (1 in 64) counties.

The Colorado Hospital Association announced Friday that hospitals and health systems in the state had activated Tier 1 of the Combined Hospital Transfer Center to better help transfer patients between facilities amid the sharp spike in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations here.

“As COVID-19 hospitalizations reach new levels that we had hoped we wouldn’t see, space and staff are our current concerns that we must address immediately,” said Darlene Tad-y, MD, the Hospital Association’s president of clinical affairs. “The CHTC will help us level load to efficiently use all the resources available in our hospitals throughout the state to provide lifesaving care for Coloradans who need it.”

Polis said that the executive order would streamline communication and data exchanges between hospitals, health care providers and the state should hospitalizations continue to increase. He said the order would contain an “order of operations” that health care providers can follow to determine when next steps would need to be taken. He said he had already activated medical work force staffing contracts to help with the staffing surge.

Hospitals will first have to increase their internal capacity and open up unused spaces for more, and work to up staffing levels in the event of a continued surge in patients. The next step would be scaling back elective procedures, and Polis said that a statewide moratorium on them – like was in effect in March and April – was not off the table.

If the hospitalization surge continues after the initial steps to increase capacity and staffing, Polis said, the Hospital Transfer Center would see more work transferring patients where there is room.

And the final step – in lieu of a plateauing of cases and hospitalizations in Colorado – would be to utilize the three alternative care sites at St. Mary’s-Corwin Medical Center in Pueblo, St. Anthony’s in Westminster and the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, Polis said.

He said those alternative care sites, which would serve patients who do not need ICU beds, would be able to be operational immediately with a few dozen beds but could increase their bed capacities to the thousands in a month’s time.

The sites in Westminster and Pueblo would be the first to be utilized. The Westminster site could open with 25 beds and expand to 78, and the Pueblo site would open with 25 beds and expand up to 240, Polis said. The convention center, if it needed to be utilized, could open with 80 beds and expand to up to 2,000, according to the governor.

But he reiterated that using the alternative care sites would be a “last resort” if the other steps taken in recent weeks and in the announced new order do not do enough to curb the spread of the virus, though he also said that looking at the U.S. and Colorado coronavirus trends, “there is a high likelihood” that they could have to be used.

Polis continued to push personal responsibility by Coloradans as being the key to turning the tide despite current trends growing at the fastest rates yet this year after months of talks about proper mask wearing, physical distancing, and gathering in small groups.

He said that people who want to try to have a traditional Thanksgiving with extended family members or friends should begin quarantines today if they want to safely do so. And he urged Coloradans, again, not to gather with people outside of their households.

Click here to read the full story.

4 p.m. | Colorado records highest number of positive cases in a single day as positivity rate reaches 12%

Colorado reported nearly 6,500 cases of the novel coronavirus Friday - the highest number ever reported in a 24-hour period as the positivity rate over the past week increased to 12.18% - indicating there are people who are not being identified through testing and likely spreading the virus. Here are the latest numbers from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE).

154,038 cases (+6,439)
10,861 hospitalized (+264)
64 counties (+0)
1,415,886 people tested (+26,752)
2,443,599 test encounters (+51,797)
2,504 deaths among cases (+36)
2,234 deaths due to COVID-19 (+0)
1,597 outbreaks (+25)

The latest hospital data shows 1,315 hospital beds in use by confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients – 7 fewer than Thursday with 168 patients discharged or transferred from hospitals over the past 24 hours and 90% of state hospitals reporting. Thursday's seven-day average positivity rate in Colorado was 12.18%. The three-day average positivity rate was 12.31%. The state's goal is to remain below 5%.

Click here to explore the latest COVID-19 case data for Colorado.

11:55 a.m. | Poudre School District shifting to remote learning

As COVID-19 cases increase in Larimer County, the Poudre School District is shifting all grades to Phase 1, meaning remote learning will begin for all students on Nov. 23 through winter break.

In a letter sent to PSD families, the district said:

• Students in pre-K through 12th grade will remain in phase 3 the week of Nov. 16
• Phase 1 learning will begin Nov.. 23 for all grades
• Virtual students will continue to learn remotely without any changes

"COVID-19 cases are taking a toll on our system as staff members shift remote or quarantine, and it is increasingly more difficult to do the work of teaching and caring for our children," the letter reads. "Although some schools and departments have yet to experience the challenge of responding to COVID-19 cases, many have become strained. With community cases surging, our teams are struggling to maintain capacity to conduct contact tracing investigations with the health department."

11:25 a.m. | Weld RE-5J Schools to move to remote learning

Starting Nov. 16, all schools in Weld RE-5J must move to remote learning, according to a letter sent to families. In-person learning is set to return Jan. 6, 2021, if possible.

The positivity rate of COVID-19 in Weld County exceeds 15% and the school district's rate is 14%. In addition, the number of cases and hospitalizations in the county continues to increase.

"We have seen a significant increase in positive cases among students and staff," the letter reads. "Many of our schools have already been forced to go fully remote. To support the safety and well-being of our staff, students, and community members, we must make this move to remote learning."

The schools and teachers will contact students about how to access remote learning tools.

7:35 a.m. | Colorado unemployment numbers

The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment reports that 7,483 regular initial unemployment claims were filed duriing the week ending on Nov. 7.

There were also 7,281 Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) claims filed for the same week.

The CDLE said given the large increase in PUA initial claims in the past few weeks, they are conducting a review to determine what may be contributing to the increase, including a deep-dive fraud analysis.

Since mid-March, a total of 601,964 regular unemployment initial claims have been filed and a grand total of 785,692 claims, including federal PUA benefits, were filed.

For the week ending on Oct. 31, a combined total of 213,703 continued claims were filed, including 91,444 from regular UI, 64,903 from PUA, and 57,356 from Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation.

Thursday, Nov. 12

9:49 p.m. | Grand County moves to Safer at Home - Level Orange: High Risk

The Grand County Board of Commissioners voted 2-1 Thursday to move the county to the Safer at Home - Level Orange: High Risk until at least Nov. 30 to mitigate the surge of coronavirus cases being reported across the state.

The decision follows the announcement of 21 new cases in the county within the past 3 days and the number of people on quarantine reaching 534.

"In addition, local healthcare facilities were notified that multiple front range hospitals could not currently accept transfers of ill patients from Grand County. These situations make this difficult decision all the more timely," county officials said in a news release.

For a list of the restrictions that will be in effect immediately, click here.

5:59 p.m. | Jeffco Public Schools will move grades 6-12 remote next week, K-5 on Nov. 30

Jeffco Public Schools will be moving all students in grades 6-12 to full remote learning next Monday, while K-5 students will continue with in-person learning through next Thursday before going remote starting Nov. 30 after Thanksgiving break.

The decision by the district was announced in a message from Interim Superintendent Kristopher Schuh Thursday evening after Board of Education meeting on Wednesday and after district officials met with Jefferson County Public Health officials. Douglas County Schools announced a similar decision not long before Jeffco's decision was released Thursday.

“Simply put, we’ve now reached the point at which the benefits of in-person learning are outweighed by the disruption caused by abrupt transitions to quarantines and by the risk of COVID-19 exposures within our buildings,” Schuh wrote. “Today, we consulted with JCPH and they concurred with that assessment.”

Preschool classes will remain 100% in person, and district childcare will continue, the superintendent said.

This Friday was already scheduled as a transition day for staff and families in grades 6-12, in which students will be expected to log in for attendance and continue with asynchronous learning. Individual schools will have the say over when and how students can come collect their belongings.

Schuh wrote that the remote classes will continue until winter break, when officials will re-evaluate whether they can return to in-person learning in January.

For elementary schools, Friday, Nov. 20 will be a non-student-contact day.

Students at all grade levels will do synchronous learning Mondays through Thursdays during the remote learning period and Friday’s learning will be determined by each school, the district said.

Some Career and Technical Education programs will continue in person. The schools or program will communicate those decisions, Schuh said. Students with significant disabilities will continue with in-person learning Monday through Friday.

Sports will be allowed to continue for Season A, but no spectators will be allowed at any of the events.

“We know this is not the news any of us wanted to hear,” Schuh wrote. “We must keep the health and wellness of our community as our collective priority. We understand this is extremely disappointing especially to our students; however, we must also do our part to slow the spread of this virus.”

Click here to read the full story.

5:41 p.m. | University of Northern Colorado to follow Safer at Home - Level Orange: High Risk guidance

University of Northern Colorado president Andy Feinstein said in a message to students, teachers and staff that the campus will proactively move to follow the state's guidelines under Safer at Home - Level Orange: High Risk (the highest level before a stay-at-home order is enacted) to contain the surge of coronavirus cases reported across the state over the past few weeks.

In-person and hybrid classes will be capped at 50; seated dining. will be limited to 50 people at a time and faculty and staff will be reduced in capacity from 50 to 25% occupancy.

Campus and residence halls will remain open, Feinstein also said.

For a complete list of guidelines and changes, including modifications to university operations, event capacity, and other campus impacts, see UNC’s COVID-19 Status webpage.

5:40 p.m. | Douglas County School District will move to remote learning starting Nov. 30

The Douglas County School District will move all students to remote learning starting Nov. 30 amid the county’s move to Safer at Home Level Orange and thousands of students and staff in the district that are currently quarantined.

The decision from the district comes after a board meeting Tuesday in which officials said the district would likely move to remote learning soon but said a decision would be made at a later date.

The decision came down Thursday afternoon in a letter from the interim superintendent after the district was informed Douglas County will be moving to Level Orange on Friday, which carries more restrictions for the county and its schools.

The district said that as of Thursday, more than 5,000 students and staffers were in quarantine and 13 schools were remote learning, and that those numbers appeared as though they would rise in the coming days.

“This is creating a staffing shortage for in-person learning that can no longer be overcome,” Interim Superintendent Corey Wise said in a letter to district families.

The Douglas County School District said it will re-evaluate the COVID-19 numbers in the county in December before making decisions about next semester, which is currently scheduled to resume on Jan. 4 for staff and Jan. 5 for students.

For elementary schools, the last day of in-person learning will be next Thursday, Nov. 19, with a teacher work day scheduled for Nov. 20. Thanksgiving break is the next week, and students will start remote on Monday, Nov. 30.

Middle and high school students will follow their cohort schedule next week, with Cohort AA’s last day of in-person learning on Wednesday, Nov. 18 and Cohort B’s last day on Thursday, Nov. 19. That Friday will also be a teacher work day for middle and high schools in the district.

Families with students in the eLearning/eDCSD programs or at charter schools within the district will need to check with their schools regarding learning schedules for Friday, Nov. 20.

Students will be asked next week to take home their school work, supplies, technology devices and personal belongings, as well as medications and musical instruments. Families that need a hot spot can request one by clicking here.

The district’s Nutrition Services Department will start meal bag pickup sites to distribute free meals to children 18 and under on Tuesdays and Fridays from 1 to p.m. at these locations.

Schools will finish out their high school football season, but spectators will be limited to 175 people.

Wise, the interim superintendent, wrote in his letter to families that the district is working to build out a pool of substitute teachers that, if filled, “may help us get students back to hybrid and/or in-person learning after the holidays.”

Click here to read the full story.

5:35 p.m. | Colorado new COVID-19 cases soar, CDPHE still hopeful local efforts will slow spread

With 5,197 new cases and 1,322 confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients in the hospital, several counties across Colorado are moving closer to Stay at Home on the state's COVID-19 dial, but the Colorado Department of Health and Environment is still hopeful local efforts could lead to a shift next week.

“This pandemic is a bit like a coal train going through Colorado. It’s got a lot of momentum and whatever you do, it takes time for it to slow down with your actions,” said Dr. Eric France, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Chief Medical Officer.

France said county level mitigation efforts could lead to the growing new case numbers starting to slow down and then move into a plateau. He does expect numbers will continue to rise over the next week before that shift may happen. France said we should see the impact of counties moving on the COVID-19 dial and Gov. Jared Polis’ statewide mandate limiting gatherings next week.

“While we can impact the pandemic through these local interventions and, potentially, state interventions, we have to remember that it all begins at home. It begins with us as individuals,” France said. “We have to recognize the very important steps we’re taking.”

With a positivity rate of 12.5% Thursday, France said it indicated there are people who are not being identified through testing and likely spreading the virus. The goal is to keep the positivity rate below 5%.

A concern since cases started spiking in October has been the possibility of overwhelming health care systems, something France said will happen if the state doesn’t see a shift.

Director, Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management Director Kevin Klein said the state has been trying to get as much PPE and medical supplies together in order to meet increases seen in these waves. The state currently has a supply of 6.2 million gloves, 1.3 million N95 masks, 1.3 million hospital gowns and 20 ventilators, among other supplies. Klein said it’s critical to social distance, wear masks and avoid gatherings to avoid overwhelming health care capacity. The state does have alternative care sites available that would take two to four weeks to become operational.

If the state doesn’t start to see improvements in COVID-19 data, some counties may begin to move to Level Red Stay at Home in the coming weeks.

4 p.m. | Colorado records over 5,100 cases of the novel coronavirus, the highest number of cases to date as 33 people die from the disease in 24 hours

Colorado reported more than 5,100 cases of the novel coronavirus on Thursday - the highest number of new cases sine the pandemic arrived to the state on March 5, as state health officials reported the highest number of dead so far this week from the disease.

147,599 cases (+5,197)
10,597 hospitalized (+59)
64 counties (+0)
1,389,134 people tested (+1,866)
2,391,802 test encounters (+44,534)
2,468 deaths among cases (+25)
2,234 deaths due to COVID-19 (+33)
1,572 outbreaks (+21)

The latest hospital data shows 1,322 hospital beds in use by confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients – 18 more than Wednesday with 168 patients discharged or transferred from hospitals over the past 24 hours and 90% of state hospitals reporting. Wednesday's seven-day average positivity rate in Colorado was 11.68%. The three-day average positivity rate was 11.66%.

The state's goal is to remain below 5%.Click here to explore the latest COVID-19 case data for Colorado.

3:07 p.m. | Greeley Ice Haus temporarily closes due to positive COVID-19 case

The Greeley Ice Haus says it will be closed today and Friday (Nov. 12-13) after two visitors in the building reported testing positive for COVID-19 within a two-week period.

The building, which houses the city’s ice skating rink at 900 8th Ave., will remain closed until Saturday morning to allow for thorough cleaning and disinfecting in accordance with guidance from public health officials, a spokesperson said in a news release.

The officials don’t believe any members of the public were exposed as the facility was being used for an adult hockey team practice during non-public hours.

2:40 p.m. | Greeley-Evans School District 6 moves to remote learning next week

In a letter from Superintendent of Schools Dr. Deirdre Pilch, the district announced Greeley-Evans School District 6 will move to remote learning starting Monday due to COVID-19.

All high schools in the district will move to remote learning Nov. 16. Kindergarten through eighth grade schools will move to fully remote Nov. 17. The district plans to return to in-person learning after Winter Break on Jan. 5, 2021.

Weld County’s positivity rate now exceeds 15% and the county is seeing a growing number of positive cases and hospitalizations. A third of the schools in the district have already gone remote because a significant increase in positive cases among staff and students and more than 3,000 individuals currently under quarantine, according to Pilch.

Pilch said most of the cases in the district’s schools are linked back to a positive family member, a weekend get-together, a Halloween part or a student or staff member who came to school while sick.

Remote learning will look different than it did in the spring. Details on the changes and the full letter can be found here.

2:37 p.m. | Pueblo extends curfew until late November

Pueblo mayor Nick Gradisar is extending the city's curfew until 5 a.m. Friday, Nov. 27.

The announcement comes a day before the curfew was set to expire on Friday, Nov. 13 at 10 p.m. and on the same day that the state moved Pueblo County to the Safer at Home: Orange - High Risk level (the highest risk level before a stay-at-home order is implemented).

The Pueblo Police Department has issued 11 curfew citations, according to a news release from the mayor's office.

2:35 p.m. | Douglas County to move to Level Orange Friday as COVID-19 cases continue to increase

On Friday, Douglas County will move from Level Yellow to Level Orange on Colorado's Safer at Home Dial as the number of COVID-19 cases continues to increase in the county.

As of Tuesday, 1,849 positive cases had been identified in the previous two weeks, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE). Given this increase, the CDPHE said it decided Douglas County should move to the more-restrictive Level Orange on Friday at 5 p.m.

According to the state’s Safer at Home Dial, Level Orange’s restrictions read:

• Indoor events are limited to 25% capacity per room, up to 50 people
• Outdoor events are limited to 25% with a cap at 75 people
• Gyms can stay open with 25% capacity with up to 25 people in a room or outdoor area
• Non-essential businesses can operate with staff at up to 25% capacity
• Essential businesses can operate normally while following social distancing requirements
• Places of worship can stay open at 25% capacity per room with up to 50 people
• Restaurants can operate at 25% capacity per room with up to 50 people
• Up to 10 people can gather together from no more than two households

On Thursday, the Board of Douglas County Commissioners said in a statement their focus remains on the health of county residents and the economy.
"We will continue to partner with Tri-County Health Department, our municipalities, large special districts, and our business community as well as regional and statewide leadership to advocate aggressively for the behaviors that reduce COVID-19 transmission,” the statement reads.

Click here to read the full story.

2:12 p.m. | Colorado report outlines priorities for schools, learning as COVID-19 spread continues across state

As Colorado school districts continue to grapple with what to do at K-12 schools amid sharp increases in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and outbreaks, the state public health department released a report Wednesday evening providing them guidance based off findings from the first three months of the school year.

The report from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) stresses the importance of in-person learning and says that data show coronavirus outbreaks are much more likely to happen among high school students than students in particularly grades K-5, and to a lesser extent, grades 6-8.

“Findings show that older students are a larger proportion of outbreak cases than younger students, and that many staff who acquire COVID-19 may acquire it in the community and not necessarily the school setting,” the report says.

It shows that among outbreaks at Colorado schools, staff accounted for 58% at K-5 schools, for 38% of outbreaks at middle schools, and for just 25% of outbreaks at high schools. More outbreaks have occurred recently in early-childhood care settings.

“The majority of in-school transmission in Colorado has occurred between teachers/staff during in-person meetings and trainings followed by transmission between both students and teachers in the classroom and between students and coaches in sports settings,” the report says.

“The existence of school outbreaks demonstrates that transmission can occur in schools. However, the relatively small number and size of these outbreaks indicates that school mitigation measures are limiting the introduction of COVID-19 from non-school community and household settings and preventing widespread transmission in schools.

The report from the CDPHE says its data suggests that schools serving grades K-8, if they properly follow the state’s case and outbreak guidance for schools, “have been able to provide a reasonably safe in-person learning environment.

“Districts should consider the benefits of in-person learning with this data that show lower rates of transmission when making their decisions,” the report said.

The report contains a series of recommendations, some of which are already being put in place by districts in their decisions on whether to move some or all students back to remote learning. Among those are a recommendation that districts and charter schools either curtail or stop extracurricular activities at schools to “preserve in-person learning when cases are rising exponentially.”

“While extracurricular activities have value for participants, they should not be prioritized at the expense of in-person learning, the health of school community members, and transmission of COVID-19 in the wider Colorado community,” the report states.

The report also says that districts should prioritize in-person learning for younger students especially, as well as students in special education programs, English learners, students experiencing homelessness and students with other needs who would not benefit from remote learning.

It also recommends that schools consider offering on-site remote learning in groups of less than 10 for students of all ages if they have poor internet connections, are experiencing housing insecurity or other issues.

Another recommendation by the CDPHE, which has been the subject of discussion involving district parents and district officials statewide, is that districts and schools should be talking with teachers, staff and the broader school community as they make decisions moving forward about what learning settings will look like, especially regarding moves to remote learning.

“Regardless of what strategy schools adopt, communication and coordination with educators and other stakeholders in the school community is paramount,” the report says. “Individuals with medical vulnerabilities and other safety concerns should continue to receive support if they choose to learn or work remotely.”

Click here to read the full story.

11:35 a.m. | Boulder County Public Health limits gatherings with new public health order

Boulder County Public Health announced the Board of Health approved a new public health order in response to a growing number of new cases, hospitalizations and deaths due to COVID-19.

In addition to the Safer at Home Level Orange requirements, every person in Boulder County will be under the following guidelines:

• Public or private personal gatherings are limited to two households with no more than 10 people.

• Indoor events are limited to 25% capacity with up to 25 people, a reduction from the 50 people limit.
• Venues are limited to one indoor event at a time, even if there are separate rooms.
• Outdoor events and sponsored gatherings follow the same guidelines as Safer at Home Level Orange with no spectators allowed at adult, high school level and professional sporting events, including University of Colorado Boulder football.
• Indoor dining is limited to one household per table.
• Outdoor dining is limited to 10 people per table.
• All businesses, including critical businesses, are strongly recommended to have all employees start or continue working from home, to the extent possible.

The new order goes into effect Nov. 14 and ends Dec. 14, unless the county chooses to extend it.

Boulder County Public Health Executive Director Jeff Zayach said the county is at a critical point. If new cases do not decline, he said the state may move them to the Stay at Home level.

“In the last month alone, we have lost 14 of our Boulder County neighbors, friends and loved ones to this virus. Our hospitalizations are rising significantly, along with the very concerning rapid increase in new cases. Some of our schools have had to close and I continue to hear stories of business owners in tears because they cannot make ends meet, even now, without being at the Stay at Home level," Zayach said.

New cases of COVID-19 among Boulder County residents in the past two weeks is 556.9 per 100,000, well over the guideline for Stay at Home level of 350 cases per 100,000, according to CDPHE’s dashboard. As of Thursday, 85 people with COVID-19 are currently hospitalized in Boulder County.

Wednesday, Nov. 11

9:55 p.m. | Littleton Public Schools shifts to remote learning

All schools in the Littleton Public School district will be switching to remote learning next week, according to LPS Superintendent Brian Ewert in a letter emailed to parents Wednesday.

Students in all grades will begin online learning starting Tuesday, and it will likely continue through Dec. 18, the end of the fall semester. There will be no classes Monday for LPS students while teachers prepare for temporary remote learning.

Click here to read the full story.

9:40 p.m. | CDPHE sends letter to Gilpin County effectively closing several casinos

A letter from the CDPHE to Gilpin County Commissioners states that capacity will be limited to 100 people and alcohol cannot be sold after 11 p.m. starting Friday.

5:25 p.m. | No decision yet on Jeffco Schools

There has been no formal decision made yet on whether Jeffco Public Schools will move to remote learning or continue in-person learning, Interim Superintendent Kristopher Schuh said in a letter Wednesday evening, adding that the decision will likely be made by the end of the day Thursday.

The board of education met with Schuh and district leaders earlier Wednesday to discuss the most recent COVID-19 data in the county and plans for the district moving forward, which included discussions about moving grades 6-12 to remote learning starting next week.

Board member Brad Rupert said many families have told them their children are thriving now that they're back in-person. However, adults in the schools are growing more concerned about their safety and the safety of the kids.

There has also been pressure to move to remote from the teachers’ union. The Jefferson County Education Association Council released a statement saying they voted overwhelmingly to demand that Jefferson County move to 100% remote learning for K-12.

Schuh said that district officials and the board will meet Thursday with Jefferson County Public Health for further talks about what should be done and said a decision would be made after that.

Jefferson County has moved into Level Orange Safer at Home on the state's COVID-19 dial, and the school district has seen increasing case numbers among students and staff that have led to several quarantines and pivots to remote learning at 14 schools because of cases and teacher shortages.

“As we have stated from the beginning, our goal is to offer as much in-person learning as possible in alignment with public health guidance,” Interim Superintendent Schuh said in the letter. “We must also keep the health and wellness of our community as our collective priority. It is for this reason that we are taking the time necessary to consider all of the information we have available to make the best decision for our students, families, staff, and ultimately, for our community.”

4:55 p.m. | ThunderRidge High School staying remote until 11/30

ThunderRidge High School, in the Douglas County School District, will stay with remote learning through Thanksgiving break, according to a letter sent to school families by the principal on Wednesday.

Principal Nikki Ballow said the school continues to learn daily of people in the school community testing positive for the coronavirus and said the extension of remote learning was “due to the impact of COVID-19 quarantines at our school.”

As of Wednesday, the plan will be for students to return to school on Monday, Nov. 30 depending on their cohorting schedules and whether or not they are in quarantine at that point.

“Please know that this decision did not come easy. Our number one goal is to provide a safe learning environment for our students, and at this point, with the increase in positive COVID-19 cases, we must remain remote,” Ballow wrote in the letter to ThunderRidge families. “We will be working this week to create clear expectations for remote learning moving forward. Our intent is to balance screen time with student engagement, and we will be sending out additional information this weekend.”

4:40 p.m. | Westminster Public Schools continues free testing Thursday

Westminster Public Schools will again offer free testing for all its staff and students Thursday at Westminster High School, as it did on Wednesday, before students return to in-person learning next week.

The testing is available from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. in the high school’s north parking lot. Students and staff must pre-register to be tested, but the testing is free.

Students in the district transitioned to two weeks of remote learning earlier this month and will go back to in-person learning on Monday. The district said in an email that it believes transmission of the coronavirus in schools is limited but hopes families will continue to follow safety protocols because of the COVID-19 trends in Adams County.

“We have done a good job of minimizing the spread of the virus in our schools, but this takes our strategy to the next level,” said Superintendent Pam Swanson. ” We know that many young people can have the virus but be asymptomatic. If we can identify those students earlier, we can do a better job of safeguarding our schools and protecting families.”

4:13 p.m. | Latest coronavirus numbers

Nearly 4,000 cases of coronavirus were reported to the state Wednesday, the highest number of reported cases to date. Here are the latest coronavirus numbers for Colorado, as of 4 p.m. Wednesday, with the change from Tuesday in parentheses.

142,402 cases (+3,975)
10,538 hospitalized (+275)
64 counties (+0)
1,387,268 tested (+20,241)
2,347,268 test encounters (+40,486)
2,443 deaths among cases (+16)
2,201 deaths due to COVID-19 (+0)
1,551 outbreaks (+79)

The latest hospital data showed 1,304 beds in use by COVID-19 patients or suspected COVID-19 patients — 34 more than Tuesday with 134 patients discharged or transferred from hospitals over the past 24 hours and 94% of state hospitals reporting. Tuesday's three-day average positivity rate in Colorado was 11.74%. The state's goal is to remain below 5%.

1:30 p.m. | DPS superintendent pleads with Denver residents to follow health orders for students' sake

The superintendent of Denver Public Schools and Denver Public Health’s director pleaded Wednesday with people in Denver to follow the city and state’s public health guidelines, saying a failure to do so will further endanger schoolchildren’s ability to attend school in person.

DPS Superintendent Susana Cordova said the district would continue with in-person learning for early childhood through second grade for now, saying district and public health officials are “still seeing low transmission rates in schools.”

But she and Denver Public Health Director Dr. Bill Burman said it was incumbent on people to follow Denver’s latest public health order telling them not to interact with anyone from outside of their household and to stay at home between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. to try to limit the spread of COVID-19 in order for in-person learning to continue for those age groups, and to be reinstated for other grades.

“The only way we’re going to be able to offer in-person learning — and the goal is to increase in-person — is if the entire community takes this seriously to turn the tide with COVID-19,” Cordova said in a press briefing Wednesday morning.

She acknowledged that working and living with the pandemic for all families, including herself, has led to COVID-19 fatigue, but said that in-person learning – particularly for the youngest students – was key to providing a proper education. She said that if the tide is not turned this winter, in-person learning in the spring semester for older students could also be at risk.

“I think it’s incumbent on all of us to do everything we can to get kids back in school. That means we’re all going to have to play our part,” Cordova said. “This is having lifetime repercussions on our students.”

Click here to read the full story.

Tuesday, Nov. 10

8:26 p.m. | All Boulder Valley Schools to switch to remote learning

Boulder Valley School District officials announced Tuesday that all schools in the district will switch to remote learning starting Nov. 17. The move to online learning comes after an overwhelming number of COVID-19 cases and quarantines in the district.

Four BVSD schools — Broomfield Heights Middle School, Community Montessori Elementary, Horizons K-8, and University Hills Elementary — will move to remote learning earlier than the rest of the district, Thursday.

4:18 p.m. | El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, jail outbreak explodes

As of Monday, for which the latest data are available, the COVID-19 outbreak among El Paso County Sheriff’s Office staff and inmates continues to grow at alarming numbers – with 73 staff and 911 inmates now having tested positive for the coronavirus.

The number of positive cases among staff and inmates has gone up exponentially over the past two weeks – from 21 staff and 64 inmates on Oct. 29, to 61 staff and 690 inmates on Nov. 5, and now up to the more than 900 inmates and 73 staff as of Monday.

By comparison, there were only three inmates and 11 staff members who tested positive for COVID-19 between March and mid-October.

Colorado National Guard soldiers were deployed on Nov. 1 to conduct widespread testing at the El Paso County Jail, which has led to the confirmed case numbers.

4 p.m. | Latest coronavirus numbers

The state continues to see record-breaking coronavirus case numbers and a skyrocketing positivity rate. Tuesday's hospital admission numbers nearly topped 100. Here are the latest coronavirus numbers for Colorado, as of 4 p.m. Tuesday, with the change from Monday in parentheses.

138,427 cases (+3,890)
10,263 hospitalized (+213)
64 counties (+0)
1,367,027 tested (+15,532)
2,306,782 test encounters (+32,354)
2,427 deaths among cases (+19)
2,201 deaths due to COVID-19 (+22)
1,472 outbreaks (+46)

The latest hospital data showed 1,270 beds in use by COVID-19 patients or suspected COVID-19 patients — 96 more than Monday with 108 patients discharged or transferred from hospitals over the past 24 hours and 92% of state hospitals reporting. Monday's three-day average positivity rate in Colorado was 12.43%. The state's goal is to remain below 5%.

3:40 p.m. | Douglas County agrees to stay with Tri-County Health Department through at least 2022

Four months after Douglas County commissioners moved to leave the Tri-County Health Department over their displeasure with the health department and new public health orders, including a mask mandate, the county has agreed to stay with Tri-County through at least 2022.

The county and Tri-County Board of Health came to an agreement on a policy “that will increase the role of individual counties” regarding the development and issuance of public health orders, which is why the county has stopped its move, according to a letter sent Tuesday to the Tri-County board of health’s attorney by Douglas County Attorney Lance J. Ingalls.

According to a Tri-County Health Department board policy on public health orders obtained by Denver7, which was adopted last Friday, the Tri-County board of health and executive director will now have to consult with county officials on information, data and the need for a public health order in each county and seek feedback before one is issued.

According to the policy, counties will have the option to opt-out of the order within a specific timeframe and will also have the option to opt back in.

The letter from Ingalls says that Douglas County and Tri-County Health came to an agreement that Douglas County would rescind its July 10 notice withdrawing from the health department, which would have gone into effect July 11 of next year.

Douglas County will now stay within the three-county public health district, along with Arapahoe and Adams counties, “through at least December 31, 2022, while we collectively continue to examine our partnership,” the letter from Ingalls stated.

The Board of Douglas County Commissioners on July 9 directed Ingalls to begin the process of withdrawing from Tri-County after voicing their displeasure over what was at the time a novel mask mandate for the three counties, despite Arapahoe and Adams counties accepting it.

Commissioners backed the move away from Tri-County in July, with Thomas saying they believed it was “the right decision for our citizens.”

The health department and county have since been in discussions about whether to continue moving forward with the move out of Tri-County or work to find a path forward together.

Douglas County spokesperson Wendy Manitta Holmes told Denver7 Tuesday the county was happy with the outcome. Douglas County is currently in Safer at Home Level 2 Yellow.

Click here to read the full story.

12:11 p.m. | Elbert County requesting extension on Safer at Home move

Elbert County was notified by the CDPHE Monday afternoon that it would be transitioning to Safer at Home Level 3 Orange effective Wednesday, but the county is asking for a one-week extension to give businesses more time to prepare.

Elbert County said it is opposed to reducing attendance capacities at churches and houses of worship to a maximum of 50 people or 25% capacity, whichever is less, which would be required under Safer at Home Level 3.

“From a public health perspective, the importance of spiritual health and its contribution to individual and community mental health is critically important during the pandemic,” the county said in an update.

The county health department is asking the CDPHE to allow up to 100 people per service. It is currently unclear if the extension will be granted.

The Elbert School District will remain closed today and tomorrow after a staff member tested positive for COVID-19 and another staff member showed symptoms.

12:08 p.m. | Pueblo D60 schools going remote

Pueblo School District 60 said Tuesday that all of its high schools will transition to remote learning on Wednesday – the latest Colorado district to move either some or all students into remote learning as COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continue to rise across the state.

Pre-K through 8^th-grade students will move to remote learning after Thanksgiving Break on Monday, Nov. 30, the district said.

5:15 a.m. | Douglas County School District update on COVID-19

The Douglas County School District Board of Education will hold a board meeting tonight, where the interim superintendent will provide an update on how COVID-19 is affecting DCSD. As of Tuesday morning, the trend in Douglas County is not good, Kevin Leung, Board of Education Director at the Douglas County School District, said on Facebook Monday evening.

"I am anxious to hear an update on what our school district will do," he wrote.

You can view the meeting here starting at 5 p.m.

4:30 a.m. | Elbert School District closes Tuesday and Wednesday

The Elbert School District will remain closed today and tomorrow after a staff member tested positive for COVID-19 and another staff member showed symptoms. Those who may have had direct contact with those individuals are quarantining. Due to the jobs those people hold, the school district cannot hold in-person learning for the next two weeks.

Students will not have school Tuesday and Wednesday. On Wednesday, the district will check out Chromebooks to families for at-home learning.

Monday, Nov. 9

7:20 p.m. | Arapahoe County moves to level orange on COVID dial

The rise in the number of COVID-19 cases in Arapahoe County has prompted the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) to move the county from level yellow (concern) to level orange (high risk) on the state’s dial dashboard.

As of Monday, Arapahoe County’s COVID incidence rate is 616.61 and the positivity rate is 10.15%; in the past several weeks the former number has more than doubled and the latter has increased almost 50%, according to the CDPHE.

5:02 p.m. | La Plata County reopens Emergency Operations Center due to rising of new COVID-19 cases

A rising incidence of new COVID-19 cases in La Plata County has led to the county reopening their Emergency Operations Center

The Emergency Operations Center will specifically focus on expanding diagnostic testing capacity to help the county reduce the spread of COVID-19. The center opening allows for a coordinated response to an increase in both new cases and the positivity rate over the past two weeks. That response will include outreach, education and enforcement of public health orders, implementing medical surge plans if necessary and providing non-congregate shelter for individuals unable to quarantine at home.

If the county doesn't see improvements in the next two weeks, it could lead to their health care system exceeding its capacity. La Plata County is approaching case levels that could trigger further reductions in gathering sizes and operating capacity at businesses.

La Plata County is currently under the Safer at Home Level 2.

4:02 p.m. | Latest COVID-19 numbers

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

134,537 cases (+3,553)
10,050 hospitalized (+33)
64 counties (+0)
1,351,495 tested (+17,172)
2,278,068 test encounters (+33,223)
2,408 deaths among cases (+14)
2,179 deaths due to COVID-19 (+11)
1,426 outbreaks (+18)

The latest hospital data showed 1,174 beds in use by COVID-19 patients or suspected COVID-19 patients — 40 more than Sunday with 71 patients discharged or transferred from hospitals over the past 24 hours and 85% of state hospitals reporting. Sunday's three-day average positivity rate in Colorado was 11.96%. The state's goal is to remain below 5%.

3:33 p.m. | Western Colorado University moves to online learning

Western Colorado University announced plans to move students to online learning for the remainder of the fall semester. The university said it's due to the number of positive COVID-19 cases reported Sunday.

3:22 p.m. | Polis plans to extend mask mandate, calls on Colorado to cancel social plans

DENVER, Colo. — In a press conference Monday, Gov. Jared Polis announced plans to extend the statewide mask mandate for an additional 30 days and continued to look to local governments in Colorado to turn around their worsening COVID-19 rates in lieu of further statewide restrictions.

"It's not about enforcement... the Grim Reaper is the ultimate enforcer. More Coloradans will die if Coloradans don't simply cancel their social plans and wear masks in public and I know that we can do it," Polis said.

The state reported 3,553 new cases and 1,060 hospitalizations Monday. It marked the fifth day in a row of new case counts over 3,000 and the third day in a row of hospitalizations over 1,000.

Hours before Polis' press conference, the company Pfizer announced their vaccine for COVID-19 is 90% effective following the two-shot regimen.

"Ninety percent plus is the gold standard for vaccines that work," Polis said. "If enough people are inoculated with a 90% effective vaccine, it ends the pandemic."

Click here for the full story.

2:54 p.m. | Adams 12 Five Star Schools going remote

Adams 12 Five Star Schools said Monday it would be moving all students to full remote learning effective next Monday amid a continued increase in outbreaks at schools in the district and within the county.

The move comes after many of the district’s schools transitioned to remote learning over the past week because of “frequent, large-scale quarantines” in the schools that had not already been on remote learning.

“We've seen COVID incidence rates increase by nearly 900 percent from their level in mid-September. We've now had more than 200 staff and students who have tested positive for COVID, resulting in quarantines of more than 3,300 students and 600 staff members,” district superintendent Chris Gdowski said in a letter to district families.

Gdowski said he and the board of education were in agreement that classes should go remote.

Friday will be the last day of in-person classes for the fall semester at all preschools, elementary and in-person classes at Bollman and Washington Square, and for BASE programs in elementary schools.

There will be a meeting Monday for students and teachers transitioning to remote learning and live, remote learning will start on Tuesday, Nov. 17, Gdowski said. Preschool families “will receive details about their remote learning model later this week,” he said.

Gdowski added that the district will reconsider the need for an earlier transition depending on what happens this week.

“I realize this news is the latest in a long string of disappointments in 2020. My hope is that we'll all set aside our many frustrations on Wednesday to remember and honor our veterans for their service; that we'll transition our preschoolers and elementary students to remote learning on Friday afternoon with strong connections to staff and peers that will enhance their remote learning experiences; and that we'll make progress in reducing the spread of the virus in the weeks ahead so we can all have a fresh and positive beginning in 2021,” Gdowski wrote.

12:37 p.m. | New main Aurora testing site

The main COVID-19 testing site in Aurora has moved to the Aurora Center for Active Adults parking lot, located at 30 Del Mar Circle. It is open from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays. To learn more, click here.

12:13 p.m. | Several courts suspend jury trials due to COVID-19

The18th Judicial District, which serves Arapahoe, Douglas, Elbert and Lincoln counties, announced Monday their Chief Judge has suspended jury trials.

In Chief Judge Michelle Amico's order, she said no one will be summoned for jury service before Jan.19, 2021.

The order states the trajectory of COVID-19 data is cause for significant concern, though the courts are exempt from public health orders because they're considered a critical government function.

On Friday, the 1st Judicial District, which serves Jefferson and Gilpin counties, announced an order also suspending jury trials through Jan. 18, 2021. Three of their employees recently tested positive for COVID-19 and 12 additional employees had to be quarantined following contact tracing.

The following courts have also suspended jury trials and will not summon jurors:

• 2nd Judicial District until Jan. 4, 2021 in Denver County
• 9th Judicial District until Jan. 4, 2021 in Garfield and Pitkin counties
• 16th Judicial District until Jan. 4 2021 in Crowley and Otero counties
• 17th Judicial District through Dec. 7 in Adams County
• 19th Judicial District through Jan. 19, 2021 in Weld County
• 20th Judicial District through Jan. 19, 2021 in Boulder County
• 21st Judicial District through Dec. 31 in Mesa County

Go here for coronavirus updates for Nov. 2-Nov. 8, 2020