NOTE: This is the live blog from Wednesday, May 27. Click here for updates from Thursday, May 28.
More than 157,000 people in Colorado have been tested for the novel coronavirus and 24,565 of those were positive, according to data from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. These positive tests were located in 60 counties, leaving four seemingly untouched by the virus.
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:
Wednesday, May 27
5:20 p.m.| PPE distributed to every Colorado county
The Unified Command Center said it distributed PPE to local emergency management, public health agencies and the Department of Corrections this week in 38 counties and to election offices in all 64 of the state’s counties.
38 counties received the following:
270,291 N95 masks
14,565 KN95 masks
199,120 surgical masks
45,774 face shields
346,440 nitrile gloves
31,000 latex gloves
561 bottles of hand sanitizer
Election officers received:
19,496 face coverings/masks
12,060 bottles of hand sanitizer
243 thermometers
The county-by-county breakdowns are as follows:
4:35 p.m. | Latest outbreak data for Colorado
The number of coronavirus outbreaks grew by four to 271 as of Wednesday, according to data from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. The biggest coronavirus outbreaks in Colorado have been in a state prison and a Denver jail, as well as the JBS meatpacking plant in Greeley, according to data from state health officials Wednesday.
At the Sterling Correctional Facility, 539 cases among inmates had been reported and two inmates have died. Twenty-two staff members at the jail have tested positive for the virus.
At the Denver Van Cise-Simonet Detention Center, 164 inmates have tested positive and 101 have been listed as having probable cases. Three jail staffers have tested positive. No deaths have been reported from the jail outbreak.
At the JBS meatpacking plant, 264 staffers have tested positive and six have died from the outbreak, according to the state data.
The number of coronavirus outbreaks at King Soopers locations remained at four — three stores and a bakery, including a store in Denver's Capitol Hill neighborhood where two employees have died. Thirteen employees have tested positive at the store.
4 p.m. | Colorado drops below 500 hospitalizations due to COVID-19
The state of Colorado reported 24,767 positive cases of COVID-19 Wednesday, as deaths increased to 1,135. Here are the latest numbers from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE). Note: The (+) denotes the change in cases from the previous day.
24,767 positive cases (+202)
4,196 hospitalizations (+36)
60 counties (no change)
160,796 people tested (+3,760)
1,392 deaths among cases (+40)
1,135 deaths due to COVID-19 (+21)
271 outbreaks (+4)
The latest hospital data from the CDPHE shows 484 hospital beds in use by confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients — 23 fewer beds than reported on Tuesday.
3:59 p.m. | Colorado Springs responds to fee proposal at Manitou Incline
The City of Colorado Springs is responding to a proposal brought forth by Manitou's City Council in which they suggested a fee system for Manitou Incline.
"While the city will review the ideas with the other property owners, it is extremely premature to suggest that major changes, particularly under the guise of COVID-19, especially without agreement of the owners and a significant public process," the city responded in a prepared statement. "The fee proposal as it is currently written especially goes beyond mitigating risk and would require a significant public process to evaluate a future usage fee and additional management options. Further, implementation of any fee would trigger a level of public involvement specific to the National Forest System Lands. Colorado Springs continues to encourage and has supported the City of Manitou Springs’ implementation of the current management plan that recommends they address parking strategies and Ruxton corridor traffic congestion."
3:55 p.m. | U.S. deaths from COVID-19 now at 100,000
The U.S. has reached another grim milestone amid the coronavirus pandemic, as deaths linked to the disease topped 100,000 on Wednesday, according to a database kept by Johns Hopkins University.
All U.S. deaths linked to the virus have occurred since February — a span of just three months.
3:28 p.m. | Cheyenne Frontier Days canceled due to COVID-19 concerns
For the first time in its 124-year history, Cheyenne Frontier Days has been canceled.
Billed as the world's largest outdoor rodeo, the popular event will not go on as scheduled in July due to COVID-19 concerns, event organizers announced Wednesday.
Ticket sales have been suspended and ticket holders will have the option of either getting a refund or using them for next year's Frontier Days. More information can be found here.
Click here to read the full story.
3:20 p.m. | Colorado Democrats approve resolutions to allow for remote voting during public health disasters
Colorado lawmakers on Wednesday approved, on party-line votes, resolutions to allow the House and Senate to vote remotely during floor sessions during public health disaster emergencies, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
The House and Senate resolutions allow the House Speaker and Senate President to allow remote participation and voting on the floor during declared public health emergencies, but do not apply to committees, where lawmakers and citizens will have to show up in person in order to testify and speak.
The Senate rules require one of several conditions be met in order for a senator to participate remotely. Senators would have to be in an increased risk group, have a member of their household who is part of an increased risk group whom the senator would come into contact with, or be exhibiting symptoms of COID-19 or had exposure to someone with the virus.
Republicans did not support either measure, arguing that the lawmakers were elected to serve their constituents in person at the Capitol. The GOP lawmakers have sparred with Democrats, who hold the majority in both chambers, over rules regarding returning to the Capitol and remote or proxy voting.
Democratic leaders said Wednesday that the passage of the resolutions will allow members who are most at-risk from the novel coronavirus to do their jobs without putting themselves or others at risk.
Click here to read the full story.
3 p.m. | Safer-at-home guidelines extended
Gov. Jared Polis on Wednesday extended and amended the state's safer-at-home guidance, allowing additional businesses such as dine-in restaurants, private campgrounds and summer and day camps to open with abundant precautions. The orders also urge anyone over the age of 60 to stay home as much as possible.
Under the amended order, ski resorts are able to work with their local health agency to discuss reopening.
12:15 p.m. | Hancock to host regional town hall Thursday
On Wednesday, Mayor Michael B. Hancock announced that he will host a regional town hall with local officials to discuss coordinated responses to COVID-19. Aside from Hancock, the following people will be in attendance: Lakewood Mayor Adam Paul, Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman, Lone Tree Mayor Jackie Millet, Adams County Commissioner Emma Pinter, RTD Board of Directors Chair Angie Rivera-Malpiede, Denver Public Schools Superintendent Susana Cordova and Colorado Municipal League Executive Director Kevin Bommer.
The town hall will run 5:30-6:30 p.m. Thursday. It will be accessible via video conference at https://bit.ly/2Tw91TZ or through call-in at 408-418-9388 with access code 965 406 133. Call-in numbers are also available in Spanish (720-865-2133) and Vietnamese (720-865-2688).
11 a.m. | Rocky Mountain National Park announces timed entry system to start in June
Rocky Mountain National Park reopened Wednesday — under guidance from local, state and federal health officials — and is now looking ahead to its second phase of reopening, which involves a timed entry system.
Phase 2 goes into effect on June 4 with a timed entry system, the park announced Wednesday. The park said it will temporarily implement this system and will stop using it in later phases of the reopening. The purpose of this system is to increase park access while also giving visitors the opportunity to comply with health guidelines related to COVID-19. Click hereto learn more about this new system.
9:35 a.m. | Bear Creek Lake Park's Big Soda Lake opens to paddle craft
Bear Creek Lake Park’s Big Soda Lake, located at 15600 Morrison Road, will reopen to paddle craft, such as paddleboards, canoes, kayaks, windsurfing, belly boats and rafts beginning May 30.
The swim beach, marina and other shore areas will remain closed.
“The temporary closure of Big Soda Lake in May allowed staff the opportunity to identify resources and put into place protocols to allow some limited access to the lake with strict precautions,” said Regional Park Supervisor Drew Sprafke. “We look forward to getting people back out on the water while practicing social distancing.”
8 a.m. | Arapahoe Basin Ski Area reopens to guests by reservation only and with list of restrictions
There was finally a hint of normalcy when the chair lift kicked on at the base of Arapahoe Basin Ski & Snowboard Area Wednesday morning. The slopes reopened for the 2019-2020 season with limited skiing and riding.
5 a.m. | Happening today: Colorado restaurants can begin to reopen in-person dining today
Colorado restaurants will have to limit indoor dining to either 50% of their maximum occupancy or 50 people, whichever is fewer, according to the finalized guidelines for the plan to begin allowing restaurants to reopen to dine-in options, which were unveiled Sunday.
The governor’s office announced Monday that restaurants can begin opening on Wednesday, May 27 with these guidelines in place. Establishments that do not serve food will be evaluated in June. Read more here.
5 a.m. | Happening today: Blood drive at Southlands Shopping Center
Southlands Shopping Center and the Aurora YMCA are hosting a blood drive to support local hospitals. Extra precautions will be implemented to account for appropriate social distancing and sanitization. To reserve a time slot, call 303-363-2300 or visit www.donors.vitalant.org and use site code: 10205.
This will take place at the Southlands Shopping Center, located a 6295 S. Main St., Unit 104, Aurora, from 8:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. today.
5 a.m. | Rocky Mountain National Park begins reopening phase today
Rocky Mountain National Park will reopen today with limited services, per guidance from the White House, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and state and local health officials, park officials said. The park closed to all visitors on March 20.
RMNP officials said park visitors’ actions will determine if areas of the park stay open or close again. Read the story about the park reopening here.
Click here for the live blog from Tuesday, May 26, 2020.
