More than 727,500 people in Colorado have tested positive for COVID-19 and more than 41,500 have been hospitalized as of Monday, 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:
Friday, October 29
5:25 p.m. | Colorado, Children's Hospital open vaccine appointments for kids ages 5-11
Parents in Colorado can start signing up their kids for COVID-19 vaccines if they are ages 5-11 starting Friday, as the state public health department and Children’s Hospital Colorado started making appointments available beginning next Friday.
Many of the slots were already filled as of Friday afternoon for the initial days of the rollout. The first day the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and Children’s Hospital is offering slots is Friday, Nov. 5. But some appointments were still open starting Nov. 13.
The initial appointments are planned as followed:
- Children’s Hospital Anschutz: Friday, Saturday, Sunday
- Children’s Hospital Colorado Springs: Friday, Saturday, Sunday
- Children’s Hospital Broomfield: Three days a week, various days
- Children’s Hospital Highlands Ranch: Three days a week, various days
Parents can click here for the full schedule of appointments at Children’s Hospital locations. More information on the rollout from the CDPHE is available here.
Click here to read the full story.
4:07 p.m. | Boulder County Public Health warns of COVID-19 surge
Boulder County has seen a recent substantial increase in COVID-19 cases in addition to the high transmission rate the country has experienced over the past month, Boulder County Public Health officials said Friday.
The county, which saw indoor mask mandates come back on Sept. 3, has seen its case rate increase from 127.5 to 177 cases per 100,000 people in just three days, health officials said in a news release. In the past few weeks, they said, over 40% of the county's ICU patients have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Boulder health officials said Friday there have 29 deaths due to COVID-19 since May 2021, 14 of which were in October.
"Flu season has not yet begun this year, and when it does begin, we expect it to put extra stress on the healthcare system which is already at over 90% capacity as of this week with 30% of facilities reporting anticipated ICU bed shortages in the coming week and 36% reporting staffing shortages," said BCHD spokeswoman Angela Simental.
Boulder County health officials recommend people who have not yet been vaccinated do so as soon as possible and if gathering for the holidays, they recommend the following:
- Whenever possible, move both public and private gatherings and events outdoors. Increase ventilation in indoor spaces if being outdoors is not possible.
- Wear a mask whenever in a crowded indoor and outdoor spaces (masks are required in all public indoor spaces, per Public Health Order2021-08)
- Get tested if you are experiencing symptoms consistent with COVID-19.
- Stay home if you are sick or waiting for a COVID-19 test result.
- Get vaccinated if you're eligible
- Get a booster if you're eligible.
4 p.m. | Latest COVID-19 data
Hospitalizations for confirmed cases of COVID-19 continue to increase across the state. On Friday, the CDPHE reported 1,184 people hospitalized with COVID-19. More than 350 people have been hospitalized with confirmed cases of the disease since the start of the month.
740,461 cases (+3,295)
42,324 hospitalized (+111)
64 counties (+0)
3,899,231 people tested (+7,168)
12,053,315 test encounters (+39,714)
8,186 deaths among cases (+23)
8,458 deaths due to COVID-19 (+16)
6,463 outbreaks (+10)
The latest hospital data showed 1,279 beds in use by patients with confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19, 34 more than Thursday. Colorado's seven-day average positivity rate was 8.79%. The state's goal is to remain below 5%.
As of Friday, 3,870,710 people have received at least one dose of the vaccine in Colorado, and 3,560,685 people have been fully vaccinated.
11:16 a.m. | Mask requirements in schools extended for Eagle County
Eagle County schools and childcare settings will require masks through Dec. 17 in schools where large numbers of students are not yet eligible for the vaccine. In schools where youth can get the vaccine — grade 9 through 12 — masks are recommended.
The county Board of Health will hold a session Nov. 1 to review the trend of COVID-19 in the county so decide if they need to make any other changes. This will take into account the increase immunity of residents and vaccine eligibility for children 5-11.
“We are also seeing an increase in cases within Eagle County since returning from Fall Break,” said Heath Harmon, director of Eagle County Public Health and Environment. “Severe disease and hospitalizations should decrease as immunity increases and we are seeing that benefit in Eagle County, but that is not the case for the rest of the state. Hospitals and healthcare workers remain extremely stressed where ICU beds are nearly at full capacity. This means hospitals elsewhere are not receiving transfers when patients need a higher level of care, whether from COVID-19 or from cardiac arrest. It is important for our community to keep this in mind and help decrease the level of spread here in Eagle County.”
The current incident rate for Eagle County is 296/100,000.
9:54 a.m. | Dick's Sporting Goods Park, Water World offering free COVID-19 testing
If you're looking to get tested for COVID-19, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) says both Dick's Sporting Goods and Water World are open for free COVID-19 testing. Both sites can test up to 1,000 Coloradans each day.
The hours and locations are:
Dick's Sporting Goods Park
6000 Victory Way, Commerce City, Colo. 80022, Lot H
Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Water World
8801 N. Pecos St., Federal Heights, Colo. 80260
Daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Thursday, October 28
4 p.m. | Latest COVID-19 data
Here are the latest coronavirus numbers for Colorado.
737,166 cases (+3,823)
42,214 hospitalized (+126)
64 counties (+0)
3,892,063 people tested (+9,002)
12,013,601 test encounters (+45,745)
8,163 deaths among cases (+32)
8,442 deaths due to COVID-19 (+16)
6,453 outbreaks (+7)
The latest hospital data showed 1,245 beds in use by patients with confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19, 42 fewer than Wednesday. Colorado's seven-day average positivity rate was 8.90%. The state's goal is to remain below 5%.
As of Thursday, 3,867,996 people have received at least one dose of the vaccine in Colorado, and 3,558,422 people have been fully vaccinated.
Wednesday, October 27
4:30 p.m. | Latest COVID-19 data
Here are the latest coronavirus numbers for Colorado.
733,343 cases (+3,385)
42,088 hospitalized (+234)
64 counties (+0)
3,883,061 people tested (+6,686)
11,967,856 test encounters (+29,692)
8,131 deaths among cases (+23)
8,426 deaths due to COVID-19 (+31)
6,446 outbreaks (+41)
The latest hospital data showed 1,287 beds in use by patients with confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19, 10 more than Tuesday. Colorado's seven-day average positivity rate was 8.90%. The state's goal is to remain below 5%.
As of Wednesday, 3,863,690 people have received at least one dose of the vaccine in Colorado, and 3,556,265 people have been fully vaccinated.
Coloradans wishing to attend sporting events or music shows at Ball Arena or the Paramount Theatre will be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or show proof of a negative test starting Nov. 10.
The announcement made Wednesday afternoon by Kroenke Sports & Entertainment doesn’t just apply to fans. Employees and team personnel 12 years and older will also have to abide by the new policy, company officials said in a news release.
Those showing up with a negative COVID-19 test will need to make sure they’ve taken a test within 72 hours prior to the event they’re attending, the release states.
Kids under the age of 12 – a group who is not yet eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine – will not be required to show proof of vaccination or proof of a negative COVID-19 within 72 hours of an event, but must wear a face mask at all times, company officials said.
Everyone inside Ball Arena of the Paramount Theatre will be required to wear a face mask at all times, regardless of their vaccination status, the company said. The policy will remain in place until further notice.
The new policy makes no mention of medical or religious exemptions, and differs from mandates imposed in countries like France, where people are allowed to show proof that they’re recovering from a prior COVID-19 infection for a period of up to six months in order to eat out, go to museums or enter a movie theater.
10:40 a.m. | CDPHE: Colorado now at its lowest number of hospital beds at any point in the pandemic
Colorado is now at its lowest number of available hospital beds since the start of the coronavirus pandemic last year, the state health department's COVID-19 Incident Commander, Scott Bookman, said during a virtual news conference Wednesday.
"What we continue to see is this precipitous decline in the number of beds that are available to the state," Bookman said, as he and Dr. Rachel Herlihy, the state epidemiologist, provided an update on COVID-19 in Colorado.
As of Wednesday morning, 1,187 people were hospitalized with confirmed COVID, up 17 from Tuesday. The state's 7-day average of new cases of the novel coronavirus was also up to numbers not seen since mid-January, Herlihy said during opening remarks. Currently, Colorado's 7-day average for new cases is 2,229, or 38.67 cases per 100,000 people.
Kids ages 5-17 continue to be the biggest driver of new cases in the state, she said, as she urged kids aged 12-17 — who are now eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine — to get vaccinated as soon as possible.
Bookman, who said the state is continuing to monitor cases and evaluate hospital capacity before the state steps in to implement new public health orders, told reporters the state is "very concerned at this point about what we're seeing in our hospitals."
When pressed by a reporter from Axios at what point a local health order would be needed to alleviate hospitals, Bookman replied there was no specific number and that the state is in constant communication with local health partners, "who have the best understanding of what’s happening in their communities and the best way to mitigate the spread of the disease."
A slide from Wednesday's news conference showed El Paso County is leading Colorado when it comes to COVID-19 hospitalizations with 117 new admissions reported within the past 7 days, followed by Jefferson, Arapahoe, Adams and Denver counties.
Bookman also noted that the number of acute-care beds available to the state was 959 as of Wednesday, "the lowest number of hospital beds that have been available in the state at any point in the pandemic."
About 125 ICU beds were currently available across the state, but the number fluctuates minute-by-minute as patients move in or out, he said.
During the news conference, state health officials also provided some tips for families looking to celebrate Halloween as safely as possible this weekend. You can find more on that guidance here.
You can also watch Wednesday's news conference in full in the player below.
Tuesday, October 26
4:12 p.m. | Latest COVID-19 data
Here are the latest coronavirus numbers for Colorado.
729,958 cases (+2,452)
41,854 hospitalized (+278)
64 counties (+0)
3,876,375 people tested (+5,098)
11,938,164 test encounters (+25,168)
8,108 deaths among cases (+22)
8,395 deaths due to COVID-19 (+32)
6,405 outbreaks (+19)
The latest hospital data showed 1,277 beds in use by patients with confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19, 107 more than Monday. Colorado's seven-day average positivity rate was 8.49%. The state's goal is to remain below 5%.
As of Tuesday, 3,860,309 people have received at least one dose of the vaccine in Colorado, and 3,553,019 people have been fully vaccinated.
1:52 p.m. | Denver will make its Outdoor Dining Program permanent next year, Mayor Hancock says
A temporary city program that has helped restaurants expand their serving capacity after the start of the coronavirus pandemic last year will become a permanent option for many businesses in 2022, Mayor Michael Hancock announced Tuesday.
Hancock and other city officials, as well as members from the Colorado Restaurant Association, made the announcement from the Daughter Thai Kitchen and Bar in downtown Denver during a news conference early Tuesday afternoon.
Denver’s Temporary Outdoor Expansions Program, which allows restaurants and bars to operate in outdoor settings adjacent to their businesses, was originally set to expire at the end of October 2020 but was extended through October 2022 in late September of this year.
City officials said in a news release the permanent program will allow restaurants and bars to continue to apply for permits to use private and public spaces after the temporary program ends in October of next year.
For now, city agencies are figuring out how many of the businesses currently participating can it make it a long-term plan of their business model. During Tuesday's news conference, officials warned not everyone would be able to get a seat at the table.
City officials said rules and regulations of the permanent outdoor dining program will be available on the city's website. For the most updated information, as well as for tips and requirements for restaurants offering outdoor seating during the upcoming winter months, click here.
9:22 a.m. | Colorado Vaccine Equity Taskforce issues recommendations for equitable rollout of COVID-19 vaccines for young children
The Colorado Vaccine Equity Taskforce delivered a set of recommendations to the Polis administration and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment on Tuesday morning to ensure a more equitable rollout of vaccines for children 5-11 years old.
Since vaccines became available, Colorado has seen challenges with delivering COVID-19 vaccines to communities of color, many of which often suffered the most during the pandemic.
“After two years, we know what works and we understand what else we must do. If we intend to protect the most vulnerable among us, our youngest children, we have to act to replicate our successes and expand our efforts around equity,” said Dr. Oswaldo Grenardo, a physician with Centura Health and co-chair of the taskforce. “Our children deserve our best effort and all the protection we can give them. They have already suffered far too much during this pandemic.”
The recommendations are written as follows:
- Consider a review of school-based health programs and school nurse programs to ensure that these vital programs are fully funded. School nurses play a critical roll in providing important health information to families and closely monitor the vaccination rates of children in schools. Ensuring that these individuals and programs have the proper funding to continue to partner with local public health agencies and other organizations to offer vaccinations, including the COVID-19 vaccine, will be critical to ensuring equitable access.
- Ensure that primary care providers in BIPOC communities have reliable access to and accurate information about the COVID-19 vaccine and can offer it to their pediatric patients free of charge.
- Enact a policy that would allow pharmacists to administer COVID-19 vaccinations to eligible children, with guardrails in place to ensure that the child has or can be connected to a medical home.
- Support online communications that promote scientifically accurate and legally appropriate information to parents and children about the COVID-19 vaccine.
- Encourage and support whole family access to both routine and COVID-19 vaccinations.
- Continue the use of mobile clinics and pop-up clinics in BIPOC communities and ensure that the strategies that have been successful at vaccinating individuals with the COVID-19 vaccine are implemented for other routine vaccinations.
- Consider a policy that would align the medical age of consent to the behavioral health age of consent in Colorado statute.
- Encourage the sharing of all vaccine demographic data between departments (CDE and CDPHE for example) not just COVID-19 data, to ensure accurate information is widely available. This will allow for more targeted approaches for vaccination efforts in BIPOC communities and other communities in which vaccination rates lag as well as allow more robust tracking and intervention should disease outbreaks occur.
The taskforce is made of BIPOC stakeholders in public health, healthcare, K-12 education, faith communities, vaccine-preventable cancer survivors and COVID-19 vaccine trial participants and lawmakers.
Monday, October 25
11:22 p.m. | Delta County continues to see increase in COVID-19 cases
The Delta County Health Department reported an additional 125 cases of COVID-19 in the last week.
The additional cases brings the total number to 3,945 cases of COVID-19 in Delta County to date. The health department also reported two additional deaths, a woman age 65-74 and a man age 75-84. In total, 81 people have died in Delta County.
The positivity rate in Delta County is 10.9%, well over the state's goal to remain below 5%.
There are 13 people hospitalized with COVID-19 at Delta Health, with ICU bed utilization at 67%. Concern remains that the hospital system is stretched to capacity, which means transfers are difficult, ER wait times may be extended and there is little to no ICU capacity in several regional hospitals.
Delta Health is able to give monoclonal antibodies to high-risk patients within the required 10 days of diagnosis, averaging 20 infusions a week. Delta Health says the infusions are helping high-risk patients avoid hospitalization and the need for oxygen therapy in some cases.
The health department is administering booster shots and continues to stress the importance of testing for COVID-19. Information on vaccines and testing can be found here.
4 p.m. | Latest COVID-19 data
Here are the latest coronavirus numbers for Colorado — a reminder that today's state data is an aggregate from the weekend as well as Monday's.
727,506 cases (+6,886)
41,576 hospitalized (+167)
64 counties (+0)
3,871,277 people tested (+18,562)
11,912,996 test encounters (+90,638)
8,086 deaths among cases (+57)
8,363 deaths due to COVID-19 (+57)
6,386 outbreaks (+7)
The latest hospital data showed 1,170 beds in use by patients with confirmed cases of COVID-19, 62 more than Sunday. Colorado's seven-day average positivity rate was 8.46% - a positivity rate not seen since Dec. 17, 2020. The state's goal is to remain below 5%.
As of Monday, 3,856,911 people have received at least one dose of the vaccine in Colorado, and 3,549,979 people have been fully vaccinated.
Click here for the COVID-19 live blog for Oct.14-Oct. 24, 2021.
