The number of people in Colorado who tested positive for the novel coronavirus has surpassed 28,000, according to new data released Sunday by 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, June 14
4:31 p.m. | Latest COVID-19 numbers
Here were the latest coronavirus numbers for Colorado, as of 4 p.m. Sunday (change from Sat.):
29,130 positive cases (+113)
5,244 hospitalized (+0)
60 counties (+0)
246,478 people tested (+4,444)
1,599 deaths among cases (+1)
1,348 deaths due to COVID-19 (+0)
312 outbreaks (+3)
The latest hospital data from the CDPHE shows 274 hospital beds in use by confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients — unchanged from Saturday’s report.
3:57 p.m. | Executive order gives Colorado tenants more breathing room
Colorado tenants struggling to pay rent amid the current economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 outbreak are getting more breathing room. Gov. Jared Polis signed an executive order Saturday that provides tenants 30 days’ notice of any default for nonpayment of rent, during which time the tenant has the opportunity to pay the past-due amount and cure the default.
Saturday, June 13
4:14 p.m. | Latest coronavirus numbers
Here were the latest coronavirus numbers for Colorado, as of 4 p.m. Saturday (change from Fri.):
29,017 positive cases (+195)
5,244 hospitalized (+10)
60 counties (+0)
242,034 people tested (+5,573)
1,598 deaths among cases (+3)
1,348 deaths due to COVID-19 (+0)
309 outbreaks (+1)
The latest hospital data from the CDPHE shows 274 hospital beds in use by confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients — five less than reported Friday.
Friday, June 12
4:59 p.m. | Polis signs executive orders in response to COVID-19
Governor Jared Polis has signed three executive orders Friday afternoon in response to the state's COVID-19 pandemic.
Executive Order D 2020 095 extends changes to the 2020 primary election to limit in-person contact while allowing the elections to proceed safely and without interruption to the Secretary of State's operations.
A second executive order also extends the temporary suspension of open burning, and a third expands health care workforce for hospitals and other inpatient treatment facilities.
4 p.m. | Latest coronavirus numbers from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
28,822 positive cases (+175)
5,234 hospitalized (+177)
60 counties (+0)
236,461 people tested (+4,698)
1,595 deaths among cases (+12)
1,348 deaths due to COVID-19 (+9)
308 outbreaks (+0)
The latest hospital data from the CDPHE shows 279 hospital beds in use by confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients — 2 more beds than reported on Thursday.
Thursday, June 11
5 p.m. | Monarch to test employees
The Monarch Casino in Black Hawk will test all of its employees for COVID-19 on Friday and Saturday before the casino is allowed to reopen starting next Wednesday. The testing is being performed at the casino. Gilpin County saw its variance request approved last week.
4 p.m. | Latest coronavirus numbers
Here were the latest coronavirus numbers for Colorado, as of 4 p.m. Thursday:
28,647 cases (+148)
5,057 hospitalized (+22)
60 counties
231,763 people tested (+4,002)
1,583 deaths among cases (+11)
1,339 deaths due to COVID-19 (+11)
308 outbreaks (+2)
The latest hospital data from the CDPHE shows 277 hospital beds in use by confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients — 28 less than reported Wednesday.
8 a.m. | State Labor Department reports $2.2 billion unemployment benefits paid since late March
Today, the department announced that a total of 12,941 initial regular unemployment claims were filed during the week ending on June 6. This is up slightly from 12,149 the week prior.
There were 10,151 Federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance initial unemployment claims that week.
Over the past twelve weeks, a total of 446,493 regular unemployment initial claims have been filed. A grand total of 540,506 claims including federal PUA benefits were filed.
In addition, the department said it has paid out $2.2 billion in unemployment benefits since March 29.
The department launched a new resource page to help provide guidance on where to find what is required for UI eligibility while somebody is unemployed.
6:30 a.m. | 1.5 million Americans filed initial claims for unemployment last week
The Department of Labor reported today that 1.5 million Americans filed initial claims for unemployment during the week ending June 6. This brings the three-month total to about 43 million.
The report also comes a week after the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said the U.S. unemployment rate actually fell a full percentage point — an encouraging sign for the economy.
But despite last week's report, weekly unemployment claims remain historically high.
Wednesday, June 10
6:38 p.m. | Longmont cancels 4th of July concert due to coronavirus concerns
The City of Longmont has canceled this year's 4th of July concert at Thompson Park, as well as the Rhythm on the River Music Festival, "based on current guidelines and uncertainty about extensions of public health orders during July." The Skyline Kiwanis’ 4th of July fireworks display is currently under review, with a modified proposal to ensure social distancing, officials said.
6:34 p.m. | Arapahoe County submits variance request for certain businesses
The Arapahoe County Board of Commissioners submitted a variance request to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) asking the state to allow the county to allow it to open gyms, houses of worship, and restaurants at 50% capacity while adhering to strict social distancing guidelines.
The complete variance application is available here.
6:13 p.m. | Manitou Incline could reopen with a reservation system in place amid pandemic
The world-famous Manitou Incline could soon reopen if a proposal from the City of Colorado Springs and the City of Manitou Springs is adopted. The cities are working together on a plan to reopen the Manitou Incline aligned with recommended public health orders from the state.
A special work session will take place Thursday, June 11 at 6 p.m. so officials can hear the proposal, which calls for a free, online reservation system that would allow a maximum of 45 hikers to access the Incline every 30 minutes from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Users would be required to check in with an onsite attendant before accessing the trail.
Learn more about the proposal here.
4:17 p.m. | Littleton's "Weekends on Main St." start Friday
The City of Littleton's "Weekends on Main St." program to allow al fresco style dining as part of its strategy to allow some businesses to reopen amid the coronavirus pandemic begins this Friday, June 12 at 5 p.m.
Main Street will be closed so that 14 restaurants can expand their space into the street, allow for greater social distancing while helping revitalize the local economy.
Free parking is available on the side streets, at the Littleton Center, in the Reinke Brothers parking lot courtesy of the Littleton Business Chamber; and at Arapahoe Community College where free pedicab rides provided by the City of Littleton will carry diners to and from Main Street, officials said.
4 p.m. | More than 1,300 dead from COVID-19 in Colorado
Since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus began in early March, 1,328 people have died, according to the tally from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE). These are the latest figures from the CDPHE:
28,499 positive cases (+152)
5,035 hospitalizations (+10)
60 counties (no change)
227,761 people tested (+4,227)
1,573 deaths among cases (+20)
1,328 deaths due to COVID-19 (+16)
306 outbreaks (+5)
The latest hospital data from the CDPHE shows 305 hospital beds in use by confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients — one more bed than reported on Tuesday.
3:38 p.m. | Arapahoe County Sheriff building to reopen Thursday
The Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office will reopen its building on Thursday, June 11, at 7 a.m. The building will be open for fingerprinting and concealed handgun permits only, an official said Wednesday. You must have an appointment in order to get in. Call (720) 874-3929. If you have other business, you are asked to do it through the sheriff's office website, https://www.arapahoegov.com/1721/Sheriffs-Office. Masks will be required.
3:12 p.m. | COVID-19 Recovery Center in Boulder moves to new location
Starting Friday, June 12, Boulder's COVID-19 Recovery Center (CRC) will transition to the former Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church at 3845 Stanford Court from its current location at the East Boulder Community Center.
The City of Boulder’s Housing and Human Services Department are working with Boulder Housing Partners, the owners of the new location, to modify the site and replicate the accommodations and required space to meet Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for health monitoring and isolating of CRC clients. The CRC opened in March as an essential tool to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 through Boulder’s homeless community by providing a safe place for symptomatic individuals to self-isolate while recovering from illness.
2:59 p.m. | Correctional facilities, nursing homes still top highest spots for outbreaks of COVID-19
Outbreak data from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment shows correctional facilities and nursing homes still have the highest number of outbreaks in Colorado.
Sterling Correctional Facility is at the top of the board with 562 positive cases of COVID-19. The Van Cise-Simonet Detention Center in Denver reported 191 cases, the Crowley County Correctional Facility reported 62 and the Jefferson County Detention Facility reported 50 cases of the new virus.
Nursing homes aren’t any better: The Broomfield Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Broomfield, for example, reported 42 cases at the facility, while 41 cases of the novel coronavirus were reported at the Centennial Healthcare Center; the cherry Creek Nursing Center has 70 cases of the disease within its doors. The Pikes Peak Care Center in El Paso County reports 93 cases.
Outbreaks of the virus have also now been reported at six different King Soopers locations in Adams, Denver and Jefferson counties.
To view the latest COVID-19 outbreak data, click here.
9:43 a.m. |ICE offers voluntary COVID-19 testing to all detainees at Aurora facility
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has begun offering voluntary testing for the novel coronavirus at the Aurora Detention Facility, which is currently experiencing an outbreak of the new disease.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment reported Wednesday the facility has seen 13 cases among detainees. Results are expected within a week of testing.
9:40 a.m. | City of Aurora launches grant program to help small to mix-sized businesses
The city of Aurora and the Aurora City Council, in cooperation with the Arapahoe County CARES Program and the Adams County CARES Program, announced Wednesday morning that they are launching a $6 million grant program — called the Aurora Economic Recovery Grant Program — for small to mid-sized businesses and eligible nonprofits in Aurora. Applications will become available on June 15.
These funds will provide economic assistance to businesses and nonprofits that can show financial stress or disrupted operations due to the public health crisis. Of the $6 million available, $5 million will be distributed to businesses and $1 million to nonprofits.
To apply or find out more, visit AuroraGov.org/AER. Email AER@auroragov.org for more details.
Tuesday, June 9
7:01 p.m. | Westminster Public Schools to reopen in the fall
The Westminster Public Schools Board of Education adopted a plan to reopen schools in mid-August, board officials said Tuesday. The plan calls for in-person, five-day a week instruction while also offering students the option to enroll in the Westminster K-12 Virtual Academy which officials say will offer a comprehensive, high quality online education.
The plan to reopen as “close to normal” as possible includes significant safety measures designed to protect the health and well-being of students and staff, such as in-person temperature checks and health questionnaires, mandatory face coverings and/or masks, students being placed in smaller groups, the observance of social distancing guidelines, a staggered bell schedule so traffic between classes is minimized, among others.
The nearby Mapleton Public Schools District is reopening with a similar program and the two districts will work collaboratively to share best practices and strategies, officials said.
To see Westminster Public Schools's plan to reopen in the fall, click here.
6:08 p.m. | Aurora Mayor says Arapahoe County has submitted variance request
Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman says Arapahoe County commissioners are submitting a variance request to the Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment (CDPHE) asking for the limits imposed on gyms, swimming pools, restaurants, churches and malls be changed to 50% of occupancy instead of current limits.
The variance request submitted by Arapahoe County commissioners comes after a call with the Tri-County Health Department, which Coffman said demonstrated Arapahoe County was "trending in the right direction (down)" when it came to infection rates, hospitalizations, and deaths from COVID-19.
4 p.m. | Latest COVID-19 numbers in Colorado
Over 5,000 people have been hospitalized in Colorado since the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment started tallying the number of cases of COVID-19 in the state in mid-March, according to the latest figures from the state health department. Here are the latest numbers of coronavirus in Colorado. Note: The (+) denotes the change in cases from the previous day.
CORONAVIRUS CASES AS OF 4 P.M., JUNE 9, 2020
28,347 positive cases (+164)
5,025 hospitalizations (+166)
60 counties (no change)
223,534 people tested (+4,203)
1,553 deaths among cases (+10)
1,312 deaths due to COVID-19 (+20)
301 outbreaks (+2)
The latest hospital data from the CDPHE shows 304 hospital beds in use by confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients — 18 fewer beds than reported on Monday.
Monday, June 8
6:29 p.m. | Jefferson County variance request approved by the CDPHE
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) approved Jefferson County’s request for a variance to the statewide Safer-at-Home and in the Vast, Great Outdoors order with some modifications. The county’s variance request addresses: gathering size; places of worship; gyms; indoor retail malls; outdoor recreation; indoor and outdoor museums and educational experiences; graduations; brew pubs, distilleries and other similar places; event centers; and some additional businesses not specifically provided for in the state’s order.
The county’s variance allows certain things that are not yet in the state order, such as:
-- Indoor malls can begin to open, with a plan approved by Jefferson County Public Health
-- Graduations can take place, with a plan approved by Jefferson County Public Health
-- Gyms or places for personal recreation can have up to 50% occupancy or 50 people (whichever is less) in each confined indoor space
-- In outdoor settings, the variance allows for 125 people
-- Event centers can operate with 25 people indoors and 50 people outdoors, beginning now through July 31, and with 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors beginning August 1.
5:33 p.m. | Lone Tree cancels 4th of July fireworks
The City of Lone Tree has canceled its Fourth of July celebration and fireworks show at Sweetwater Park due to limitations on group gatherings, budget constraints and safety concerns brought about by the coronavirus pandemic in Colorado
4:52 p.m. | Denver Zoo to reopen this week with mask requirements, visitor limits
After being closed for nearly three months due to COVID-19 concerns, the Denver Zoo will reopen this week. The zoo will open Wednesday for members and the general public on Friday. Tickets for Friday's opening are on sale now.
A visit to the zoo will be different as zoo officials make sweeping changes to stay in compliance with local and state guidelines.
Masks will be required for guests three and older, and the zoo will limit the number of visitors per day using timed tickets with staggered 15-minute entry windows that must be purchased online. Admission lines will also be marked for distancing.
Read the full guidelines here.
4:32 p.m. | Steamboat Ski Resort to open weekends beginning June 26
Steamboat Ski Resort will open weekends beginning June 26, according to a tweet from resort officials. Several of the resort's areas will open, including the Mountain Coaster, mini golf, gondola, hiking, as well as dining. But, in order to mitigate the further spread of COVID-19 at the resort, guests will have to abide by new operation guidelines:
-- Guests will be expected to wear face masks when loading and unloading the Mountain Coaster, when picking up or dropping off mini golf equipment, when loading and unloading the gondola and in the base area/restaurants when within 6 feet of another individual not at a table.
-- Guests will load the gondola in groups they arrived with, single guests will load the gondola alone Shuttles will run at 50% capacity.
-- Guest information will be collected for contact tracing purposes.
For the full list of changes, click here.
4:03 p.m. | Weld County Jail says 23 inmates have COVID-19
Out of 392 inmates tested for COVID-19 at the Weld County Jail, 23 tested positive, according to the Weld County Sheriff's Office. All 23 are asymptomatic.
4 p.m. | Latest COVID-19 Colorado numbers
Here are the latest numbers of coronavirus cases reported to the state. Note: The (+) denotes the increase in cases from the previous day by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE).
28,183 positive cases (+182)
4,859 hospitalizations (+374)
60 counties (no change)
219,331 people tested (+4,391)
1,543 deaths among cases (+16)
1,292 deaths due to COVID-19 (+18)
299 outbreaks (+0)
The latest hospital data from the CDPHE shows 322 hospital beds in use by confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients — 27 more beds than reported on Sunday.
3:25 p.m. | Denver expands COVID-19 testing for communities of color
The City and County of Denver has expanded COVID-19 testing for communities of color, which data shows are among the hardest hit by the novel coronavirus, with the help of Denver Public Health and the Mayor's Office of Social Equity and Innovation, which launched a Racial Equity Council tasked with bolstering access to testing for underserved communities. Here are the days, locations and times of the new sites:
Tuesday, June 9 & Tuesday, June 23
The Center for African American Health
3350 Hudson St.
9 a.m. – 1 p.m. (both days)
Saturday, June 13
Montbello High School
5000 Crown Blvd.
10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Thursday, June 18
Sam’s Club
7805 E. 35th Ave.
10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Saturday, June 20
New Hope Baptist Church
3701 Colorado Blvd.
9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Saturday, June 27
Rising Star Missionary Baptist Church
1500 S. Dayton St.
9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
City officials said additional locations and days for free, community-based COVID-19 testing are currently being determined.
Click here to see more coronavirus coverage.
