Today, Governor Jared Polis authorized the activation of more than 200 Colorado National Guard members to support testing sites and other COVID-19 response and recovery activities in Colorado. The additional support will start January 1 and be in support of multiple sites across the state.
The Omicron variant now accounts for 90 percent of the new COVID cases in Colorado.
“With the high prevalence of omicron in Colorado, we need to ensure Coloradans can access testing without long waits, enabling them to isolate, notify contacts, and keep from spreading the virus to their loved ones,” said Polis. “The National Guard has been a critical partner for the entirety of the pandemic response. This additional support will help Coloradans access testing this holiday weekend by reducing wait times at major free community testing locations.”
Testing is a critical strategy in slowing disease transmission. Anyone, regardless of vaccination status, who is experiencing symptoms should get tested immediately and isolate. There are more than 150 free community testing sites across the state, and advance appointments are strongly encouraged. Readers should call ahead. Just because a clinic calls itself a walk-in clinic does not mean that a person can be tested immediately. Several testing locations are reporting multiple staff members who are out sick with COVID.
The release from the governor’s office did not indicate where the National Guard will be assigned, or whether their involvement might increase testing sites or testing hours.
The trends across the state are upward. Chaffee County, which had yesterday had 46 cases in the past seven days and 76 in the past 14 days, today inched up to 53 cases in the past seven days and 83 cases in the past 14 days. Heart of the Rockies Medical Center is at 68 percent capacity and there have been 26 COVID-related visits to the Emergency Room over the past 14 days, and 4 hospitalizations.
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