More than 40,000 people have tested positive for coronavirus in Colorado, 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:
Sunday, July 26
4:07 p.m. | Latest COVID-19 numbers for Colorado
Here are the latest COVID-19 numbers from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Please note: The (+) denotes the change in cases from the previous day.
44,336 cases (+547)
6,268 hospitalized (+7)
63 counties (+0)
494,626 people tested (+7,391)
635,575 test encounters (+11,224)
1,794 deaths among cases (+0)
1,661 deaths due to COVID-19 (+0)
457 outbreaks (+0)
The latest hospital data shows 338 hospital beds in use by confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients, with 25 patients discharged from hospitals over the past 24 hours and 59% of state hospitals reporting.
Saturday, July 25
4:07 p.m. | Latest COVID-19 numbers for Colorado
Here are the latest COVID-19 numbers from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Please note: The (+) denotes the change in cases from the previous day.
43,789 cases (+809)
6,261 hospitalized (+34)
63 counties (+0)
487,235 people tested (+10,649)
624,351 test encounters (+16,281)
1,794 deaths among cases (+4)
1,661 deaths due to COVID-19 (+0)
457 outbreaks (+2)
The latest hospital data shows 357 hospital beds in use by confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients, with 14 patients discharged from hospitals over the past 24 hours and 84% of state hospitals reporting.
Friday, July 24
10 p.m. | Aurora students will not return to in-person learning until at least late October
Aurora students will not be coming back to class for the first quarter of the school year.
During a Friday night meeting, the Aurora Public School Board of Education voted to begin the school year remotely for the first eight weeks, citing the recent increase of coronavirus cases in Adams and Arapahoe counties.
4 p.m. | Nearly 43,000 cases of COVID-19 in Colorado as the month of July nears its end
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment reported 666 new cases of COVID-19 in Colorado from Thursday into Friday and saw 16 more deaths from COVID-19, the highest number of deaths since Tuesday, when the state reported 28 had died of the new respiratory disease. Please note: The (+) denotes the change in cases from the previous day.
42,980 cases (+666)
6,227 hospitalized (+78)
63 counties (+0)
476,586 people tested (+8,860)
608,070 test encounters (+13,339)
1,790 deaths among cases (+4)
1,661 deaths due to COVID-19 (+16)
455 outbreaks (+3)
The latest hospital data shows 356 hospital beds in use by confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients – 5 more from Thursday, with 27 patients discharged from hospitals over the past 24 hours and 84% of state hospitals reporting. Thursday’s 3-day moving average positivity rate was 4.98%. The state’s target is to remain below 5%.
Click here to explore the latest COVID-19 case data for Colorado.
Thursday, July 23
4 p.m. | Latest COVID-19 numbers from Colorado
A total of 616 more people tested positive for the novel coronavirus in the state, bringing the number of infected to more than 42,300 people. Here are the latest numbers from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE). Please note: The (+) denotes a change in cases from the previous day.
42,314 cases (+616)
6,149 hospitalized (+16)
63 counties (+0)
467,726 people tested (+5,451)
594,731 test encounters
1,786 deaths among cases (+15)
1,645 deaths due to COVID-19 (+2)
452 outbreaks (+6)
The latest hospital data shows 351 hospital beds in use by confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients – 22 fewer from Wednesday, with 31 patients discharged from hospitals over the past 24 hours and 83% of state hospitals reporting. Tuesday’s 3-day moving average positivity rate was 5.25%. The state’s target is to remain below 5%.
Click here to explore the latest COVID-19 case data for Colorado.
3:45 p.m. | 'We ain't going to wait': Colorado will ramp up testing, processing as national lab backlog grows
Colorado will ramp up its own COVID-19 test processing capabilities in coming weeks to cut back on the time in which results are turned around, with private labs that handle much of the processing currently experiencing massive backlogs that have resulted in it taking up to two weeks for some people to receive their results.
Saying that Colorado “can no longer rely on national testing,” Gov. Jared Polis announced Thursday that the state was working with state hospitals and private labs to be able to process thousands more tests per day than are currently being done and purchasing hundreds of thousands of more test and swab kits that are expected to be delivered by the end of September.
“We’re going to take on more in Colorado. We’re ready for it. We have the ability to do it. We have the resources to do it,” Polis said. “And while it would have been nice to have a national, coordinated strategy, we ain’t going to wait for it.”
Colorado and its partners are currently testing more than 10,000 people per day, Polis said, with the state lab processing an average of 3,000 tests per day while working around the clock.
But since many of the remaining tests are being sent to LabCorp, Quest or other national labs to be processed, and since those companies are also handling the bulk of processing from states across the country where cases have sharply spiked, results from some community-based testing sites have taken longer than a week to come back, and some people have had to wait as long as two weeks to get their results.
That is unacceptable, Polis said, as many people could already be done with their illness, if they had it, or hospitalized by the time a test result comes back 14 days later. He said that while he hopes the labs can catch up, they are currently “no longer very useful to us” and that a better strategy is needed.
As such, the state has partnered with several hospitals and private companies to use their lab capacity to process tests. Polis said that soon, Children’s Hospital would be processing 300 per day, National Jewish Hospital will be able to process 500 a day, and two private companies – Biodesix and Unipath – will process a total of 1,200 a day.
Additionally, Mako Labs will process up to 2,000 tests per day, Curative will process up to 3,000 a day for senior care facilities, and ATCG Labs will process up to 1,200 a day for Colorado’s 50 community-based testing sites, the governor said.
Polis said that the state has already purchased and had delivered 300,000 tests and 450,000 swab kits from international suppliers and was expecting another 300,000 test kits and 800,000 swab kits by Sept. 30 from those supply chains. Domestically, the state has already saw delivered 300,000 swab kits and is expecting another 500,000 by the end of next month, according to the governor.
Click here to read the full story.
11:07 a.m. | Gov. Polis to provide COVID-19 update at 12:30 p.m.
Gov. Jared Polis is holding a news conference to provide an update on the state's response to COVID-19 at 12:30 p.m. We will carry the news conference live. On Tuesday, Polis said he would speak today about testing and contact tracing.
10:55 a.m. | Two deaths in Colorado linked to MIS-C, syndrome in children tied to coronavirus
Two deaths in Colorado have been linked to multisystem inflammatory syndrome, the mystery syndrome popping up across the country – mostly among children – that is linked to the novel coronavirus.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment confirmed there have been two deaths in Colorado and seven cases in the state confirmed by U.S. Centers for Disease Control. The department said it could not release details about the cases, including the ages of the people who contracted the syndrome.
Colorado officials first warned about the syndrome, MIS-C, in May, when they said there were three suspected cases in the state and that Children’s Hospital Colorado was researching the disorder. The CDC says that all of the cases across the U.S. have involved people under the age of 20.
In May, Dr. Samuel Dominguez of Children’s Hospital said that initial information shows the syndrome generally affects children between the ages of 5 and 15, though there have been some cases of children up to age 20 having the syndrome
He said that suggested the syndrome was a post-infectious or inflammatory response to the virus. Children typically have very high fevers for several days and typically experience body inflammation, particularly in the gastrointestinal system and sometimes in the coronary system.
The CDC says that the average age of children in which MIS-C presents is 8 years old. It has also disproportionately affected Hispanic/Latino and Black Americans – with about 70% of cases reported by the CDC occurring in those two groups.
Most cases developed 2-4 weeks after a person was infected with SARS-CoV-2. Eighty-six percent of cases have occurred in children under age 15.
The CDC’s case definition for MIS-C involves a person aged under 21 showing lab evidence of inflammation, severe illness requiring hospitalization, with multisystem organ involvement and no plausible diagnoses, as well as a positive current or recent test for SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 or antibodies for the disease
Colorado has seen three deaths among children aged 10-19, zero deaths among children aged 0-9, and 11 deaths among the 20-29 age group as of Wednesday evening. Word of the two deaths comes as Colorado school districts consider the safest way to return students to classrooms in coming weeks.
Click here to read the full story.
Wednesday, July 22
8:26 p.m. | Grand County amends public health order to further mitigate COVID-19 spread
Grand County Public Health has amended its standing public health order to further mitigate the spread of the coronavirus.
The amended public health order calls for event sizes to be decreased to 50% capacity or a maximum of 50 people at indoor events, whichever is fewer, and 125 person at outdoor events while keeping up with social distancing practices in mind. The mandatory use of face masks or coverings is also included in the amended public health order.
The public health order is effective immediately.
5:27 p.m. | 27J Schools releases return to school plan, parents asked to choose learning option before Sunday
Brighton's 27J Schools district has released its return to school plan, which according to district officials applies to all 27J district-managed schools. Charter schools in 27J will be providing their own return to school information. Parents and guardians are asked to read the plan and then commit to one of two learning options: A return to face-to-face school, with in-person learning four days a week for elementary students, or a return to face-to-face school every other day at middle/high school; Or, a full-time, four-days a week online learning option through your child's current school.
Parents and guardians are asked to provide their responses through the district's Intent to Return form, which you can find by clicking here.
"We understand the difficulty of committing to one of our options, but our planning depends on your response," district officials said on Twitter. "Families who do not commit to Option #1 or Option #2 by Sunday, July 26 will be automatically enrolled in the in-person learning model (Option #1)."
4 p.m. | Over 600 new cases of coronavirus reported in 24 hours in Colorado
The latest case data from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment shows more than 600 cases of the novel coronavirus were reported from Tuesday into Wednesday. Please note: The (+) denotes the change in cases from the previous day.
41,698 cases (+639)
6,133 hospitalized (+23)
63 counties (+0)
462,275 people tested (+7,985)
1,771 deaths among cases (+8)
1,643 deaths due to COVID-19 (+0)
446 outbreaks (+11)
The latest hospital data shows 373 hospital beds in use by confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients – 13 fewer from Tuesday, with 45 patients discharged from hospitals over the past 24 hours and 89% of state hospitals reporting. Tuesday’s 3-day moving average positivity rate was 4.35%. The state’s target is to remain below 5%.
Click here to explore the latest COVID-19 case data for Colorado.
3 p.m. | New COVID-19 outbreaks in Colorado include Englewood Police Department, Oil and Gas company, Boulder County Jail
Eleven new outbreaks of the coronavirus have been reported by the state department of public health from Tuesday into Wednesday. They include:
- Ameristar Casinos in Gilpin County
- Associates in Periodontics (dental practice) in Larimer County
- The Boulder County Jail
- The Englewood Police Depratment
- Crossfire LLC (oil and gas company) in La Plata County
- Hobby Lobby in Larimer County
- Tony's Restaurant Lounge in Larimer County
- A Walmart in Larimer County
Data from the remaining three outbreaks was not immediately available. View the full outbreak data here.
Tuesday, July 21
4 p.m. | Latest COVID-19 data from Colorado
Nearly 500 people tested positive from the coronavirus from Monday into Tuesday, according to the latest case data from the Colorado Department of Health and Environment (CPDHE). Please note: The (+) denotes the change in cases from the previous day.
41,059 cases (+493)
6,110 hospitalized (+53)
63 counties (+0)
454,290 people tested (+6,086)
1,763 deaths among cases (+5)
1,643 deaths due to COVID-19 (+28)
435 outbreaks (+7)
The latest hospital data shows 386 hospital beds in use by confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients – 11 fewer from Monday, with 50 patients discharged from hospitals over the past 24 hours and 90% of state hospitals reporting. Monday’s 3-day moving average positivity rate was 3.83%. The state’s target is to remain below 5%.
Click here to explore the latest COVID-19 case data for Colorado.
2:10 p.m. | Gov. Polis temporarily moves last call from 2 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Citing a worrisome spike in COVID-19 cases among young people, Gov. Jared Polis announced Tuesday that he is moving last call hours from 2 a.m. to 10 p.m. for the next 30 days.
The governor’s ban on alcohol sales past 10 p.m. at restaurants and bars that function as restaurants does not prevent those establishments from operating past 10 p.m. However, they can’t serve alcohol past that time.
8:25 a.m. | DU survey: Less than 5% of tenants didn't pay rent in Q2
A University of Denver survey said landlords reported that less than 5% of tenants did not pay rent in the Denver metro area in the second quarter of 2020.
“These may be surprising results to some with the concerns of non-payment by renters and potential job losses,” report author Ron Throupe, associate professor of real estate at the Daniels College of Business, said in a news release. “Many responses to the special survey questions mentioned rent deferral programs in place during these months, illustrating that both locally, and nationally, there has been some slow payment of rents.”
The survey also showed an average rent decrease of $29.99, from $1535.70 to $1505.71, from the first quarter.
8:15 a.m. | More COVID-19 research through UCHealth
UCHealth on Tuesday announced that patients who get COVID-19 antibody testing can also consent to submit a sample from their blood draw to be used for genetic research for COVID-19 and another diseases and conditions. The research is being conducted by the Colorado Center for Personalized Medicine Biobank at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.
The research will examine why some people might be more susceptible than others to become ill from COVID-19. UCHealth hopes to enroll 100,000 patients per year in the research program.
“I think the public is much more aware of the benefits of genetic testing in getting information back that can help them make really important decisions about their own life, their treatment, their risk of developing disease and more. I also think there's a real altruistic nature to our patient population. They want to contribute to research and discovery, and I appreciate those who have joined this initiative,” Dr. Kathleen Barnes, the CCPM’s director and a University of Colorado School of Medicine Professor, said in a news release.
The UCHealth antibody test costs $100.
6 a.m. | Bandimere Speedway ruling coming Tuesday morning
A Jefferson County judge is expected to make a ruling on the Bandimere Speedway restraining order at 9 a.m. Tuesday.
The order temporarily shut down the speedway after county health officials said the venue did not adhere to social distancing guidelines, including a 175-person limit on gatherings, when thousands of spectators filled the stands during Fourth of July weekend.
Health officials said a county health order would not have limited the entire event to 175 people but that Bandimere failed to live up to agreed court-ordered requirements for the event and did not enforce social distancing.
Bandimere attorneys have argued that the speedway will not survive if strict restrictions are put in place regarding the number of spectators at events.
Monday, July 20
4 p.m. | State's 3-day average positivity rate now below 4%
Colorado's 3-day average moving positivity rate fell to 3.78% Sunday despite 424 more cases of the novel coronavirus reported in a span of 24 hours, according to the latest case data from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE). Please note: The (+) denotes a change in cases from the previous day.
40,566 cases (+424)
6,057 hospitalized (+25)
63 counties (+0)
448,204 people tested (+9,136)
1,758 deaths among cases (+6)
1,615 deaths due to COVID-19 (+0)
428 outbreaks (+1)
The latest hospital data shows 397 hospital beds in use by confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients – 4 fewer from Sunday, with 21 patients discharged from hospitals over the past 24 hours and 83% of state hospitals reporting. Sunday’s 3-day moving average positivity rate was 3.78%. The state’s target is to remain below 5%.
Click here to explore the latest COVID-19 case data for Colorado.
2:37 p.m. | Jefferson County Public Health asks plans from venues hosting large events
The Jefferson County Health Department has issued a new public health order Monday which requires venues hosting large events to provide a plan outlining how they'll adhere to the state's Safer-at-Home and in the Vast, Great Outdoors requirements to make sure the health and safety of staff and attendees is looked out for to mitigate the further spread of COVID-19.
"Specifically, venues holding events with more than one designated activity, which would permit more than 100 people inside or 175 people outside, must submit a plan to JCPH and receive approval in writing prior to such events taking place. The Order is effective at 5:00 p.m. on July 20, 2020 through midnight on August 19, 2020 unless amended or extended," a news release states.
Read the full news release here.
8 a.m. | Larimer County could lose COVID-19 variance
Larimer County is at risk of losing its state-approved variance for COVID-19 restrictions as cases have seen an uptick in the county in recent weeks, officials announced over the weekend.
The county has now had more than 1,000 reported cases of COVID-19 and has seen weekly increases since mid-June, according to county data.
County officials on Sunday attributed the uptick in cases to Fourth of July gatherings. The county will have to submit a mitigation plan to the state by Monday to show how they will decrease and stabilize case counts, officials said.
The plan will require enforcement of the statewide face covering mandate, social distancing measures and other safety guidelines for businesses. The county will then have two weeks to reverse the upward trend in cases.
If the county's variance is revoked, there could be a rollback on openings that forces some businesses and other public places to shut down again, the county said.
Click here to view our coronavirus blog from July 13-19, 2020.
