While the rest of the U.S. was told yesterday that people who are vaccinated can skip the facemask for most outside activities except where they may be in large crowds, Colorado got a different message yesterday during a press conference by Governor Jared Polis.
“The numbers are pretty bleak,” said Polis, referring to the dramatic rise in cases and hospitalizations in Colorado over the past week. “As of today, we have 2,015 positive cases from testing of 13,013. Colorado sits at a high 9.6 percent positivity rate; the highest it’s been in months. We now have 622 people hospitalized. If you haven’t been vaccinated, you are at very high risk for contracting this virus right now.”
Governor Jared Polis said Tuesday that the state is tracking a disturbing rise in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. The state’s 9.2 positivity rate is the highest it’s been in months.
The governor revealed a startling, if not unexpected fact. Where county vaccination rates are high, cases of COVID-19 are dropping. In counties where vaccination levels are low, COVID-19 cases are going up.
“I urge you to get vaccinated,” he reiterated during the press conference. “Following the two-week pause, we can use J&J. The state received J&J vaccines this past weekend. It’s life-saving, it’s safe. There were 15 cases of a rare blood disorder out of 8 million doses. So now Coloradans ages 18 and up have three vaccines from which to choose. And I tell you, we need all three vaccines to save lives.”
He paused, then said that the state has already lost 6,403 Coloradans to COVID, urging residents that until they get vaccinated, they should wear a mask and avoid social gatherings. His big concern, he added, is that while cases among older Coloradoans are declining (likely due to high levels of vaccinations) cases among younger Coloradoans are rising.
State Epidemiologist Dr. Rachel Herlihy joined Polis for the press conference, to walk through the 10 largest counties — a geographic snapshot of where vaccination levels are directly correlated to differences in COVID case levels.
“Our seven-day positivity average is going up, increasing in the last week or so after last week being flat,” said Herlihy. “We are seeing hospital increases yesterday and today. While trends are different by age and geography, we are tracking a big jump in kids 11-17. The increase is steep compared to ages 18+; their rate is much higher than others. We are seeing the third-highest increase in age three to 10-year-olds.”
Herlihy said that the state is now seeing an increase in school outbreaks, which of course, have been trying to reopen after months of remote learning arrangements. The rising cases among young people is concerning, she said, because the vaccines aren’t yet approved for children.
She reviewed the statistics behind this reality using the top 10 largest population counties in the state: the data shows that the highest COVID case rates are occurring in the counties with the lowest vaccination rates.
Case levels are rising in Pueblo, Douglas, El Paso. Weld, and Adams counties, where vaccination rates are lower and vaccine resistance has been growing.
But the data shows that the rates of COVID infection are dropping in Denver, Boulder, Larimer, Jefferson counties, where the rates of vaccination are much higher. Boulder, for instance, has already achieved a 65 percent vaccination rate of adults 18-plus.
“We’re seeing this association,” said Herlihy. “For every 10 percent increase in vaccination levels, we are seeing a correlated decrease of 51 cases per day, per 100K population.
The governor ended the news conference with the news that all six community vaccination sites on the front range would take walk-in appointments. He announced that Children’s Hospital would now begin to offer COVID vaccines (ChildrensColorado.org/get vaccinated )
He reminded people that per a bill he signed weeks ago, full and part-time employees are guaranteed four hours of paid time off work to go get a COVID vaccine shot.
While Chaffee County ranks sixth in the state in percent of the population vaccinated, it is still nowhere near the levels that will see Chaffee achieve herd immunity. “Based on 17,439 eligible [adult] population in Chaffee County, our goal is: if by May 31, assuming we want to reach 50 percent, we need 13,079 people up to date [on vaccines] to reach the 75 percent goal,” said Chaffee County Public Health Director Andrea Carlstrom. “We have a ways to go.”
She added that Pfizer vaccine trials on 12 to 15-year-olds are going well and emergency authorization might be given by mid-May, “Much sooner than we originally thought. We are going to have to be strategic about school vaccinations … we can’t implement Pfizer 14 days before or after school vaccinations.”
She added the fear that public health officials are facing: “The weight off your shoulders that kids can soon get vaccinated, is quickly replaced with the reality that they AREN’T vaccinated.”
To sign up for a COVID-19 vaccination, click here.
Recent Comments