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Coronavirus in Colorado: COVID-19 updates for April 12-April 18, 2021

Denver7

Live updates from the Denver7 team on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Colorado.

By: The Denver7 Team

Posted at 11:32 AM, Apr 12, 2021

and last updated 2021-04-18 18:46:59-04

More than 478,600 people in Colorado have tested positive for COVID-19 and more than 26,000 have been hospitalized as of Sunday afternoon, 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, April 18

4:34 p.m. | CDPHE expands at-home COVID-19 testing program

Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) announced today the expansion of the Binax At-Home rapid testing program to include all employees who interact with the public at their jobs across the state. As Colorado moves steadily through the vaccination process, the free tests provided to Coloradans by the Binax At-Home program will allow individuals to order testing kits to their homes and test themselves for COVID-19 under the guidance of a telehealth proctor.

Virus Outbreak Home Tests — FILE - This Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2021 file photo shows a BinaxNOW rapid COVID-19 test made by Abbott Laboratories, in Tacoma, Wash. On Wednesday, March 31, 2021, the FDA said Abbott’s BinaxNow and Quidel’s QuickVue tests can now be sold without a prescription for consumers to test themselves repeatedly at home. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

Testing kits are free of charge to the user.

For more information visit https://covid19.colorado.gov/covid-19-testing-at-home.

4 p.m. | Latest COVID-19 numbers

Here are the latest COVID-19 numbers, as of 4 p.m. Sunday, with the change from Saturday in parentheses:

490,289 cases (+1,261)
26,836 hospitalized (+15)
64 counties (+0)
2,837,423 people tested (+4,910)
7,486,098 test encounters (+19,925)
6,199 deaths among cases (+11)
6,330 deaths due to COVID-19 (+0)
4,620 outbreaks (+1)

The latest hospital data showed 552 beds in use by confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients, 12 less than Saturday. Colorado's seven-day average positivity rate for COVID-19 tests was 5.70%. The state's goal is to remain below 5%.

As of Sunday, 2,341,879 people in Colorado have received at least one dose of the vaccine, and 1,466,797 had been fully immunized.

Saturday, April 17

4 p.m. | Latest COVID-19 numbers

Here are the latest COVID-19 numbers, as of 4 p.m. Saturday, with the change from Friday in parentheses:

489,028 cases (+1,450)
26,821 hospitalized (+118)
64 counties (+0)
2,832,513 people tested (+6,052)
7,466,173 test encounters (+29,725)
6,188 deaths among cases (+2)
6,330 deaths due to COVID-19 (+0)
4,619 outbreaks (+10)

The latest hospital data showed 564 beds in use by confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients, 13 more than Friday. Colorado's seven-day average positivity rate for COVID-19 tests was 5.73%. The state's goal is to remain below 5%.

As of Saturday, 2,309,812 people in Colorado have received at least one dose of the vaccine, and 1,425,327 had been fully immunized.

Friday, April 16

4 p.m. | Colorado reports more than 2,200 cases in a single day as state hands control of the dial to local municipalities

Colorado reported more than 2,200 cases of the novel coronavirus and reached 500 hospitalizations from confirmed cases of COVID-19 as the state handed over control of the dial to local municipalities. Here are the latest numbers from the CDPHE.

487,578 cases (+2,260)
26,703 hospitalized (+42)
64 counties (+0)
2,826,461 people tested (+8,739)
7,436,448 test encounters (+46,413)
6,186 deaths among cases (+9)
6,330 deaths due to COVID-19 (+11)
4,609 outbreaks (+13)

The latest hospital data showed 551 beds in use by confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients, 10 more than Thursday. Colorado's seven-day average positivity rate for COVID-19 tests was 5.71%. The state's goal is to remain below 5%.

As of Friday, 2,276,093 people in Colorado have received at least one dose of the vaccine, and 1,391,781 had been fully immunized.

GRAPH: COVID-19 numbers as of April 16, 2021

3:11 p.m. | Colorado Avalanche postpones 3 upcoming games after 3rd player tests positive for COVID-19

The Colorado Avalanche have suspended tonight’s game against Los Angeles Kings as well as two other upcoming games after a third player tested positive for COVID-19 Friday.

The league said they expect to return the Avs. to practice by next Wednesday.

Thursday, April 15

11:40 p.m. | El Paso moves to less COVID-19 restrictions for events and businesses

El Paso County officials will not implement a local dial or any additional restrictions beyond what the state has implemented as control on COVID-19 response shifts locally Friday.

Gov. Jared Polis has continued the order on social distancing and masks and eased restrictions on most indoor businesses' capacities.

Other guidelines in place include:

Unseated Outdoor Events have no restrictions.
Seated Outdoor Events that are ticketed and exceed 30,000 square feet must consult with El Paso County Public Health and Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment on capacity limits and disease mitigation strategies prior to their event.
5-Star Certified Businesses and prior approved variances remain in effect.
Indoor Events less than 100 people have no restrictions other than the state mask order requirements.
Indoor Events between 100 to 500 people must maintain six-foot distancing between non-vaccinated people and unknown vaccinated people, and comply with the state mask order.
Indoor Events over 500 people must obtain a variance from EPCPH and CDPHE prior to the event and comply with the state mask order.
5-Star Certified Businesses and prior approved Variances remain in effect.
These restrictions do not apply to places of worship, retail services and restaurants that have sit-down dining and do not have unseated areas where 100 or more people could gather. School proms and graduations that wish to exceed these thresholds shall be subject to review and approval by local public health agencies in accordance with CDPHE.

11:20 p.m. | Summit County issues local guidelines for COVID-19 response

Summit County has created a revised dial framework for the county with the state turning to a local approach on COVID-19 guidelines beginning Friday.

The amended and restated Public Health Order begins at 6 a.m. Friday and places Summit County in Level Yellow, which allows for the following under Summit County’s new guidelines:

Restaurant capacity increases to 50% or 150 people, with six feet between parties
Gyms and fitness centers and personal services increase capacity to 50% or 50 people
5 Star restaurants will be permitted to operate in Level Blue with 100% capacity and six feet between tables indoors, three feet between tables outdoors
Transportation, including Summit Stage buses and Breckenridge Free Ride, increase capacity to 75%

The county will have the ability to move to Level Green and 100% capacity as soon as 70% of residents are fully vaccinated or Level Green incidence metrics are met.

10:22 p.m. | Park County pauses use of Johnson & Johnson vaccines

Park County Public Health has paused the use of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine until further notice.

This decision complies with guidance from state and federal health officials requiring all providers to pause administration after six cases of blood clots associated with the doses were reported nationwide.

6 p.m. | Elbert County dropping COVID-19 restrictions

Elbert County is the latest county to say it will drop COVID-19 restrictions when the state hands control over regulations and restrictions to counties and local public health departments Friday.

“Elbert County’s Board of Health (Board of County Commissioners) and our Public Health Department will not impose any local restrictions in their place. Instead, we will focus our efforts on providing the information necessary for our citizens to continue to make good decisions for themselves, their families, and our communities,” the county said in a statement.

Elbert Co. says it is urging businesses to still operate in a manner that lets patrons maintain six feet of social distancing, options for contactless payment, “and other measures that are consistent with maintaining good customer service and allows their businesses to thrive.”

The statewide mask mandate will remain in effect until May 4. The county said more availability for vaccines is coming next week on Tuesday and Thursday at Frontier High School.

“Elbert County Public Health remains ready to provide guidance and assistance to all citizens and businesses desiring to keep our communities healthy. Please be safe, well, and free,” said Dwayne Smith, Med, the director of Elbert County Public Health.

5:05 p.m. | Weld County to lift COVID-19 restrictions under local control

Weld County will lift all local COVID-19 restrictions on Friday as the state hands control over regulations to local public health departments and counties.

The board of county commissioners said in a statement Thursday that the county government “will continue promoting the importance of personal responsibility when it comes to individuals and businesses making the decisions that best address their health-related concerns.”

The move was mostly expected, as Weld County officials throughout the pandemic have been loath to enforce guidelines from the state at times.

“As has been the case throughout the pandemic, Weld County government will not issue COVID-19 restrictions and regulations that hinder an individual’s ability to manage the day-to-day decisions for themselves and their family, or a business’s right to run their establishment in a manner that works best for them and the consumers they serve,” the board of county commissioners said in a statement Thursday as Colorado prepares to lift most, but not all, statewide requirements on Friday and move to local control.

Commissioners said the Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment will continue to work with businesses and residents the manage the virus.

“The work of county government remains as it has been from the beginning: to monitor the situation regularly; to provide resources to those front-line entities engaged in responding to and reducing the spread of the virus; to offer guidance as needed to those who request it; and to equip residents and businesses with information to make the best decisions for themselves, their families, their businesses and their communities,” commissioners said.

Weld County’s COVID-19 data trends show a slight uptick in hospitalizations recently, though the seven-day average is still just 7 occupied beds per day.

Like Colorado as a whole, case numbers had also been increasing since late March, thought they have fallen over the past couple of days. The seven-day rolling average of cases was 81.1 on Thursday. The county says three people have died of COVID-19 since the beginning of the month.

Click here to read the full story.

4 p.m. | Latest COVID-19 numbers

Here are the latest COVID-19 numbers, as of 4 p.m. Thursday, with the change from Wednesday in parentheses:

485,318 cases (+1,500)
26,661 hospitalized (+87)
64 counties (+0)
2,817,722 people tested (+5,501)
7,390,035 test encounters (+26,163)
6,177 deaths among cases (+5)
6,319 deaths due to COVID-19 (+0)
4,596 outbreaks (+24)

The latest hospital data showed 541 beds in use by confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients, 28 more than Wednesday. Colorado's seven-day average positivity rate for COVID-19 tests was 5.85%. The state's goal is to remain below 5%.

As of Thursday, 2,240,454 people in Colorado have received at least one dose of the vaccine, and 1,363,068 had been fully immunized.

GRAPH: COVID-19 numbers as of April 15, 2021

12:40 p.m. | Eagle County moving 100% capacity for 5-Star businesses

Eagle County on Friday will move to 100% capacity levels at 5-Star certified restaurants and gyms, with six-foot social distancing enforced. Restaurants and gyms that aren't 5-Star certified will be limited to 50% capacity, or 150 people, whichever is fewer. The Eagle County requirements will run through May 27.

12:40 p.m. | COVID cases ticking up in Colorado as state prepares to hand over local regulation control

As Colorado enters its fourth COVID-19 wave — and cases, hospitalizations and percent positivity tick up — state public health officials said Thursday they are confident moving forward with transferring regulation control back to the counties on Friday.

Scott Bookman, COVID-19 Incident Commander with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, said as they prepare to transition public safety measures to local control, they are seeing variable case rates around the state.

“The time is right to transition to localized control with that state framework around it,” Bookman said, adding that the state would be closely assessing hospital capacity and working with local governments and public health agencies to hone their approaches.

But the move to local control on Friday comes as Colorado reported more than 2,000 new COVID-19 cases Wednesday and as hospitalizations continue to rise.

The latest modeling report from the Colorado School of Public Health released earlier this week said that “delaying policy changes, whether at the state or local level, until mid-May, vs. mid-April, will prevent large numbers of deaths and hospitalizations.”

When the Colorado health officials were again pressed by reporters Thursday as to why the state was still moving forward with handing over local control on Friday despite that recommendation, officials pointed to multiple factors, including increasing vaccinations, lower age groups being among those seeing higher case and hospitalization rates, varying case and hospital rates by county, and “a strong desire by communities to be open.”

“So, how do you solve for all of that? And the decision was that local control with the dial would be the best approach moving forward, knowing that we have adequate hospital capacity and increasing vaccination rates, and high variability across the counties,” said CDPHE Chief Medical Officer Dr. Eric France on Thursday.

“There is no one-size-fits-all approach for a state as diverse as Colorado. So we really just wanted to make sure we had local control here, with the appropriate level of state support,” Bookman said. “...We take a number of things into consideration. Obviously, we know everyone is getting tired of this pandemic. We’re all tired of the pandemic. There is a light at the end of the tunnel here.”

Bookman pointed to the vast decrease in cases and hospitalizations at long-term care facilities, where most residents and workers have been vaccinated, as well as decreasing case and hospitalization numbers among older age groups as reasons why the vaccine was working and a cause for hope.

But he and France both stressed that while the state moves to local control, Coloradans should not disregard the day-to-day actions that have gotten us to this point.

“At this point, we want to encourage all Coloradans — regardless of the dial, regardless of what restrictions might be in place — wear a mask, keep your distancing, stay home when you’re sick. We are so close to the end here, it is absolutely critical that we keep following this guidance to the end,” Bookman said.

The good behavior of Coloradans who are wearing masks and staying distant over the past 15 months makes it easier to turn control over to the counties, France said.

“Because compared to other states, stories we hear time and time again, I feel that the people of Colorado have been very good about doing what’s right to reduce the spread of this virus,” he said. “If anything, I’d say that knowing how good Coloradans behave makes it that much easier to feel confident that local control will be successful.”

But the local control decisions have not been uniform in all of the most populous areas of the state. Though most of the metro area and higher-populated mountain communities are keeping some restrictions in place for at least another month, Douglas County has decided to lift all restrictions except for the ones that will still be controlled by the state and not go along with the Tri-County Health Department’s plans.

Douglas County Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously on Tuesday to allow businesses and restaurants to operate at full capacity with no restrictions aside from those in the state’s stay in place order, starting Friday. This is a break from the Tri-County Health Department, which announced a two-phase plan for full reopening. Adams and Arapahoe counties are still participating in the health department’s plan to move to Level Blue Friday and then Level Clear on the state’s COVID-19 dial by May.

Level Blue allows for 100% capacity at restaurants and gyms, and all in-person learning. Click here to learn more about this level and its restrictions.

When announcing the decision, Douglas County commissioners noted COVID-19’s survival rate and that 80% of those most at risk in the county were vaccinated.

In addition, Jefferson County Public Health said Tuesday that it will move toward a full reopening on Friday under Level Blue. Denver County will make the same move.

Boulder County also said it will likely move to Level Blue on Friday as long as case rates and percentage positivity in the county stay low.

Eagle County will continue to require masks in indoor public spaces, keep in place its requirement that visitors be symptom-free of COVID. Capacity limits for 5-Star certified restaurants and gyms will be lifted but social distancing will still have to be maintained, and non-certified businesses will still have capacity limits. There will remain caps on indoor and outdoor event capacities as well.

The state public health officials said that continuing the scale-up of vaccine administration would be key to local control working.

"While we are moving toward light at end of tunnel as our vaccine campaign continues to increase and as more Coloradans receive this life-changing vaccine, it is important for all Coloradans to understand that we do have still have a significant amount of COVID in our state and its important to continue to take these precautions around this pandemic until people are fully vaccinated," Bookman said.

He also stressed the importance of COVD-19 testing for those who have symptoms and then isolating while waiting for the results. Symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, chills, fatigue, muscle or body aches, runny nose, nausea, vomiting, new loss of smell or taste, headache and diarrhea.

As vaccine rates have gone up, testing rates have gone down, Bookman said. But testing can help slow the spread of the virus.

"These simple efforts of testing is what will allow us to continue to control the spread of this disease so we can move forward while our vaccine rates continue to increase,” he said.

There are more than 80 free testing sites around the state.

"They're easy, they're efficient and they're free," Bookman said.

Click here to read the full story.

11:15 a.m. | Arapahoe County also moving to Level Blue

Arapahoe County will move to Level Blue on Friday, in line with plans for most Denver metro counties. Level Blue allows for up to 100% capacity but with six-foot social distancing still enforced. Arapahoe County will then enter an "observation period" after May 16 in which no COVID-19 restrictions will apply.

10:35 a.m. | UNC announces fall plans

The University of Northern Colorado plans for fully in-person learning this fall.

“As students and their families consider academic plans for the fall, it is important for them to know UNC is planning to return to a more normal operating schedule, much like what we had prior to the start of the pandemic,” UNC President Andy Feinstein said in a news release. “The traditional college experience provides unparalleled opportunities – inside and outside of the classroom. I look forward to having our entire community return, resulting in a vibrant campus with all activities and events restored. Our efforts preparing for the fall semester are focused on the long-term success of our students and the health and safety of our entire campus community.”

7:35 a.m. | Colorado unemployment numbers

The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment reported that about 8,927 regular initial unemployment claims were filed during the week ending April 10. There were also 2,132 Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) initial claims filed for the same week.

Since mid-March 2020, an estimated total of 909,661 regular initial unemployment claims have been filed and a grand total of 1,175,514 claims were filed, when the PUA program is included.

For the week ending April 3, the number of continued weeks requested totalled 218,508. That includes the following totals by UI program: regular UI (69,981), PUA (63,248), and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) (85,279). The recent implementation of the ID.me identity verification requirement explains the decline in continued weeks for the week ending April 3, compared to the weeks and months prior, the CDLE says.

CDLE estimates those continued claims were filed by approximately 181,213 individuals (64,654 for regular UI; 47,715 for PUA, and 68,844 for PEUC).

5 a.m. | Concern over rising COVID-19 cases in Larimer County

The Larimer County Department of Health & Environment said it has seen a significant rise in COVID-19 cases in the county in recent weeks, with one-week case rate increasing from 103.7 to 227.2 cases per 100,000. This has more than doubled in the last three and a half weeks.

"The positivity rate of local COVID-19 testing rose from 4.8% to 7.5% over the last two weeks. The county is also losing ground on the progress we had with declining hospitalizations," the department said.

The last thing the department wants to do is adopt any additional protective restrictions, Larimer County Public Health Director Tom Gonzales said.

"We believe we are in the final push to get out of this pandemic, and we’re asking our residents to continue to wear a mask, social distance and make an appointment to get vaccinated, without delay. The sooner we can get to at least 65% of eligible residents having at least one-dose of COVID-19 vaccine, the sooner we can truly get back to normal,” he said.

Wednesday, April 14

5:42 p.m. | Special Olympics athletes, volunteers vaccinated in Denver Wednesday

Nearly 200 Special Olympics athletes, coaches, volunteers and supporters were vaccinated today by Denver Health in partnership with the City of Denver.

The effort is part of a series of partnerships to improve COVID-19 vaccine access and equity.

Like many, Special Olympics Colorado has been directly by the pandemic, the organization said in a press release. With the introduction of vaccines and loosening restrictions, it will make it easier for athletes to gather and do what they love.

“People with intellectual disabilities are six times more likely to die from COVID-19. This disparity must be addressed, and equitable distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine is a critical step in the process,” said Megan Scremin Special Olympics Colorado president and CEO.

Even before the pandemic, people with intellectual disabilities already faced disparities in health care systems, including inequity, injustice and inconsistent policies that lead to gaps in health care, Special Olympics Colorado said.

Both Governor Jared Polis and Denver Mayor Michael Hancock stopped by the event to show their support to providers, thank volunteers and meet athletes.

In total, 300 vaccines were distributed at the Blair Caldwell Library Wednesday.

4 p.m. | Latest COVID-19 numbers

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

483,818 cases (+2,324)
26,574 hospitalized (+196)
64 counties (+0)
2,812,221 people tested (+8,175)
7,363,872 test encounters (+32,972)
6,172 deaths among cases (+4)
6,319 deaths due to COVID-19 (+3)
4,572 outbreaks (+61)

The latest hospital data showed 513 beds in use by confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients, 19 more than Tuesday. Colorado's 7-day average positivity rate Monday was 5.85%. The state's goal is to remain below 5%.

As of Wednesday, 2,200,603 Coloradans had received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and 1,339,880 people have been fully immunized.

7:50 a.m. | Denver update on COVID-19 in city

Mayor Michael B. Hancock and Dept. of Public Health & Environment Executive Director Bob McDonald will provide an update on the city's response to COVID-19 at 11 a.m. today. They will discuss current trends and how the state will transition public health measure control to counties.

Tuesday, April 13

10:37 p.m. | Vaccines received at Dr. Moma Health and Wellness Clinic considered invalid, state says

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) says they’re unable to verify if vaccines received at Dr. Moma Health and Wellness Clinic in El Paso County are viable.

CDPHE said Tuesday night that the clinic failed to provide the state with proper documentation of temperature storage. After consulting with the CDC, CDPHE released the following recommendations for patients who were vaccinated at a Dr. Moma vaccination clinic:

If you received one dose of Pfizer vaccine at a Dr. Moma vaccination clinic, that dose is considered invalid and you should receive two additional doses of Pfizer vaccine according to the time frames below:

Additional dose of Pfizer 21 days after initial invalid Pfizer dose was received at Dr. Moma, and
Final dose of Pfizer 21 days after repeated valid dose

If you received one dose of Moderna vaccine at a Dr. Moma vaccination clinic, that dose is considered invalid and you should receive two additional doses of Moderna vaccine according to the time frames below:

Additional dose of Moderna 28 days after your initial invalid Moderna dose was received at Dr. Moma, and
Final dose of Moderna 28 days after your repeated valid dose)

If you do not know which vaccine you received at a Dr. Moma vaccination clinic, you should receive two additional doses of either Moderna or Pfizer vaccine according to the time frames below:

Additional dose of Moderna or Pfizer 28 days after your initial invalid mRNA dose was received at Dr. Moma, and
Final dose of Moderna or Pfizer 28 days later (e.g., 28 days after your repeated valid dose)

Records show that most patients only received one dose at the site, but for people who received two doses at the Dr. Moma Health and Wellness Clinic the CDC and CDPHE recommends:

If you received two doses of Pfizer vaccine at a Dr. Moma vaccination clinic, those doses are considered invalid and you should receive one additional dose of Pfizer vaccine at least 21 days after your last COVID-19 dose.
If you received two doses of Moderna vaccine at a Dr. Moma vaccination clinic, those doses are considered invalid and you should receive one additional dose of Moderna vaccine at least 28 days after your last COVID-19 dose.
If you do not know which vaccine you received at a Dr. Moma vaccination clinic, you should receive one additional dose of either Moderna or Pfizer vaccine at least 28 days after your last COVID-19 dose.

Read the full story here.

4 p.m. | Latest COVID-19 numbers

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

481,494 cases (+1,904)
26,378 hospitalized (+93)
64 counties (+0)
2,804,046 people tested (+6,728)
7,330,900 test encounters (+26,545)
6,168 deaths among cases (+11)
6,316 deaths due to COVID-19 (+13)
4,511 outbreaks (+30)

The latest hospital data showed 494 beds in use by confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients, 24 more than Monday. Colorado's 7-day average positivity rate Monday was 5.62%. The state's goal is to remain below 5%.

As of Tuesday, 2,163,313 Coloradans had received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and 1,316,814 people have been fully immunized.

3 p.m. | What you need to know now that Colorado has paused use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine

Colorado on Tuesday paused its use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control Prevention (CDC), which reported six cases of rare blood clots tied to the vaccine.

None of the blood-clot cases were reported in Colorado as of Tuesday. But providers, out of an abundance of caution, put the J&J vaccine on hold as health officials investigate the vaccine's side effects.

Still, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine has made up only a small portion of the vaccines administered in Colorado.

Here's what you need know now about the J&J vaccine and the symptoms you need to look out for if you recently received it.

11:40 a.m. | Dick's Sporting Goods Park, home of Colorado Rapids, will open to almost 8,000 fans on April 24

Kroenke Sports & Entertainment announced Tuesday morning that Dick’s Sporting Goods Park received approval from the Tri-County Health Department to hold Rapids games with up to 7,897 fans per match — about 44% of overall capacity — beginning with the club's home opener on April 24 against Austin FC.

Read the full story here.

10:15 a.m. | Colorado pauses use of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine

In response to the joint CDC and FDA announcement Friday morning about recommending pausing Johnson & Johnson vaccines, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and the Colorado Joint Vaccine Task Force said they are alerting providers to temporarily pause use of the vaccine.

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine makes up a small portion of Colorado’s weekly vaccine allocation. Most vaccine clinics will not be significantly affected, the state said.

Anyone scheduled to receive the Johnson & Johnson vaccine will either receive the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine instead.

Click here to read more on what officials have to say and what clinics are planning with their J&J clinics.

9:53 a.m. | NCHD pauses use of J&J COVID-19 vaccine

Per the FDA recommendation to pause the use of Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine, the Northeast Colorado Health Department will suspend the administration of this vaccine until further notice. Anybody who has already registered for a Johnson & Johnson vaccine through NCHD will be contacted to register for the Moderna vaccine.

8:46 a.m. | J&J vaccines switched to Moderna at Thornton vaccination center

After receiving guidance from the CDC and FDA to pause all use of Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccines, the city of Thornton and Thornton Fire Department said that all J&J vaccine appointments at the Margaret Carpenter Recreation Center vaccination site will be switched to Moderna vaccines.

5:15 a.m. | FDA, CDC recommend a pause in use of Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have recommended a pause in the use of Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine "out of an abundance of caution."

In a series of tweets Tuesday morning, the FDA said it was recommending a pause after receiving reports that six people developed "rare and severe" blood clots after receiving the vaccine.

Click here to read the full story.

Monday, April 12

9:40 p.m. | Douglas County plans to opt out of public health order

The executive director at Tri-County Health Department (TCHD) confirmed Douglas County has made a public resolution expressing intent to opt out of a county-wide public health order.

The Board of Douglas County Commissioners released the following statement on the Douglas County website:

“Douglas County will remain guided by accurate public health data, including high vaccination rates of vulnerable populations, coupled with low hospitalizations and deaths. These science-driven metrics balanced against job losses, business closures, and mental health consequences require that we exercise our local control authority on behalf of the people of Douglas County. We trust our citizens and businesses to think and act for themselves to protect their lives and livelihoods. In lieu of further orders, we will continue to encourage strong public health recommendations, good hygiene, and the choice to be vaccinated. Our Board will remain nimble and continue to monitor COVID-19 data trends daily, with the intent to collaborate with the State and Tri-County Health Department on prudent, science-based responses to those trends which best serve our citizens.”

TCHD Executive Director John Douglas, Jr. also released a statement in response:

"We believe that the Public Health Order we have announced is appropriate for all three counties given the recent rates of increase in cases all three counties have experienced and the possibility that increased spread of variant strains could reverse some of our recent progress despite our favorable trends in vaccination. However, support of local officials is important for the success of any public health order and we respect their prerogative to opt out of ours if they so choose."

TCHD released their Public Health Order last week that they plan to implement when the state transitions to a more local approach in pandemic response.

8:32 p.m. | Boulder County likely to move to Level Blue under local control

Boulder County will continue a similar COVID-19 Dial 3.0 framework for the first 30 days following the state shifting to local control beginning April 16.

According to Boulder County Public Health, the board of health approved a Public Health Order April 12, which will allow the county to move to Level Blue as long as it’s current case incidences do not exceed 300 case per 100,000 residents and positivity rates do not exceed 7.5%. If metrics exceed current numbers before April 16, the county will continue operating in Level Yellow.

On May 16, Boulder County will enter Level Clear for 90 days if hospital admissions remain low. Under the Public Health Order, hospitalizations must stay below an average of two per 100,000 residents for seven consecutive days as observed over a 14-day period.

Level Clear no longer requires local capacity restrictions and mitigation, though it may be encouraged. Masks may still be required under state or local order, and if the state continues any orders, those state restrictions will apply in Boulder County.

Any questions regarding the Public Health Order can be directed to the Boulder County Call Center at (720) 776-0822 or its website.

4 p.m. | Colorado continues to see rise in hospitalizations to levels not seen since October

Hospitalizations for confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19 continued to rise Monday, with 470 people hospitalized across the state - a figure not seen since Oct. 19, 2020. The state's positivity rate saw a small decrease to 5.51%. Here's the latest CDPHE data:

479,590 cases (+912)
26,285 hospitalized (+11)
64 counties (+0)
2,797,318 people tested (+3,703)
7,304,355 test encounters (+15,951)
6,157 deaths among cases (+0)
6,303 deaths due to COVID-19 (+7)
4,481 outbreaks (+15)

The latest hospital data showed 470 beds in use by confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients, five more than Sunday. Colorado's seven-day average positivity rate was 5.51%. The state's goal is to remain below 5%.

As of Monday, 2,122,809 people had received at least one dose of the vaccine and 1,292,845 people have been fully vaccinated.

3:40 p.m. | Another Douglas County school goes remote

Thunder Ridge High School is moving to remote classes through April 26 due to COVID-19 quarantine protocols. School officials told parents and staff that five outbreaks had been reported in the school.

Last week, four schools moved to remote learning: Mountain Vista High School, Castle View High School, Rocky Heights Middle School, and Sierra Middle School.

As of Friday, the district had a total of 4,534 students and staff impacted by quarantine protocols. Of those, 132 students and staff are in isolation, meaning they are sick or have tested positive for COVID-19.

Click here for the COVID-19 live blog for April 5-April 11, 2021.