Coronavirus, Featured

Coronavirus in Colorado – Resources & What You Need To Know

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According to the CDPHE, 634,888 positive cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Colorado (7,585 deaths due to COVID-19)

De acuerdo al CDPHE, se han reportado 634,888 casos positivos de COVID-19 en Colorado (7,585 muertes a causa de COVID-19)

Colorado has launched a hotline for the public to ask questions specifically about the COVID-19 vaccine. The new toll-free number is 1-877-CO VAX CO (1-877-268-2926).

El Departamento de Salud Pública y Medio Ambiente de Colorado abrió un nuevo centro de atención para asistir al público con preguntas sobre la vacuna contra el COVID-19. Desde ahora, hasta finales de enero, el centro de atención estará abierto de Lunes a Viernes de 9 a.m. – 10 p.m., Sábados y Domingos de 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. A partir del 1 de febrero, el horario de atención será de 24 horas, siete días a la semana. El nuevo número gratuito es 1-877-CO VAX CO (1-877-268-2926).

All Coloradans to be Eligible for Vaccine Starting April 2

Gov. Polis announced today that all Coloradans will be eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine starting Friday, April 2. Everyone 16 and older is eligible for the Pfizer jab, Polis said, while those 18 and up are eligible for Moderna and Johnson & Johnson doses.

COVID Dial Update to Less Restrictive Category Starting March 24

The latest update to Colorado COVID-19 Dial goes into effect Wednesday, March 24. According to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Dial 3.0 will make it easier for counties to move into Level Green, the least restrictive level on the dial. It will also remove many of the restrictions that currently apply at that level. Restrictions for bars, retail establishments, offices, and non-critical manufacturing facilities would also be relaxed under Level Blue.

Jill Hunsaker Ryan, executive director of CDPHE, said that while this is still a time for caution, these changes to the Dial better reflect where we are in the pandemic today, and the balance they are trying to strike between disease suppression and economic hardship.

CDPHE said the updates reflect the increasing number of Coloradans who have received a COVID-19 vaccine, including nearly 80% of people 70 and older.

Fully vaccinated residents at residential care facilities can have close contact with visitors under updated guidance released this week by the CDPHE.

Colorado Expands Vaccination Eligibility Starting March 19
Starting March 19, anyone over 50 is eligible as well as a broad category of front-line workers, including employees in food service, higher education, manufacturing, public health, public transit, human services, faith communities, media, and services to people experiencing homelessness.

Mass vaccination Sites Opened in Colorado
Colorado opened two mass vaccination sites Wednesday, March 17, one in Colorado Springs and the other in Grand Junction. These are the state’s first permanent mass vaccination locations. Three other mass vaccination locations will open Monday, March 22: one at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, one at The Ranch in Loveland, and another at the state fairgrounds in Pueblo. Another site—at the Ball Arena in downtown Denver—will open on April 1.

Click here to find out more about the state’s plan for distributing the vaccine.

Starting February 8 more than 400,000 people have become eligible for a coronavirus vaccination in Colorado.

People aged 65 to 69, workers in K through 12 education and child care, and a small number of government officials are included in what the state is calling Phase 1b.2 of its vaccination plan. Find out more about the state’s vaccination plan here.

The state is collaborating with labs and wastewater utilities to test for COVID-19 virus particles in wastewater. The information will be used to help us understand how prevalent COVID-19 is in Colorado and big shifts in that prevalence. Find out more about the testing here.

The first vaccines were distributed in Colorado on December 14. Click here to find out more about the state’s plan for distributing the vaccine.

Beginning Friday, Nov. 20th, Colorado officials will impose tighter, level red restrictions on 15 counties, including much of the metro area, in an effort to curb the accelerating transmission of COVID-19. But the state is not ordering a lockdown. Read more here.

Public Health officials ask residents to:

Stay home
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds; Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands
Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash
Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces
More information

The virus is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person

● Between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet)
● Through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes

Resources:

Call the Colorado Health Emergency Line (toll-free hotline) for the latest public health information with reliable, consistent, and accurate information in many languages. The CO HELP numbers are 303-389-1687 or 1-877-462-2911 or email [email protected] for answers in English.
Coloradans can also visit the CDC and CDPHE websites for more information on best practices
If you have upcoming travel plans, visit the CDC’s website for the latest travel information
The Colorado COVID-19 relief fund, Help Colorado Now, supports coronavirus prevention, impact and recovery efforts through financial donations and volunteer opportunities.
Find more info on Colorado’s COVID-19 system of emergency childcare for essential workers like hospital workers, public safety workers and those who support the critically at-risk population at covidchildcarecolorado.com
City of Boulder Coronavirus FAQs
Call 2-1-1 (online at 211Colorado.org or text your Zip Code to 898-211) to connect with the following human service resources statewide (confidential and multilingual service):
- Housing, including shelters and transitional services.
- Rent and utility assistance.
- Applying for SNAP benefits by phone.
- Childcare.
- Food/meals.
- Transportation.
- Clothing/personal/household needs.
- Mental health and substance use disorders.
- Employment.
- Education.
- Medical clinics.
- Dental clinic.
- Other government/economic services.
myColorado™ mobile app – Stay current on COVID-19 information and access food, cash, medical, and early childhood assistance on the Colorado PEAK® website. Download myColorado from the Apple App Store or Google Play.
CanDoColorado.org – The Can Do Colorado Community Challenge is aimed at encouraging companies and local government entities to keep the momentum going on telecommuting. A website, CanDoColorado.org, has been created to offer resources and guidance for businesses.

COVID-19 Información En Español:

Helpful KGNU Coverage:

Boulder County will provide residents weekly, virtual COVID-19 updates starting Wednesday, December 9. Boulder County Public Health said the updates are designed to help the community feel more informed and give residents an opportunity to ask questions. The first update is scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 9. It will include an overview of the coronavirus vaccine distribution plans for the state. The online meeting is set to begin at 3:30 p.m.

For information on tuning into the meeting, visit www.boco.org/COVID19CommunityUpdates.

School Re-Openings:

* CDE’s toolkit for the 2020-21 school year

K-12

Boulder Valley School District transitioned to fully remote learning Tuesday, Nov. 17th. More on BVSD’s reopening plan here.
Denver Public Schools – All grades will move to remote learning starting November 30. More info here.
The St. Vrain Valley School District – St. Vrain Superintendent Don Haddad says the district will make the decision on whether or not to move to remote learning at a special meeting on Nov. 18th. More info at http://svvsd.org/coronavirus.
Jeffco Public Schools – Grades 6-12 – Remote Learning starts Monday, Nov. 16 until winter break – Grades K-5 – In-Person Learning through Nov. 19. Remote Learning starts Monday, Nov. 30 until winter break
More info at https://www.jeffcopublicschools.org/restart_jeffco

Higher Education

- CU Boulder – CU Boulder announced Thursday, Nov. 5th, that it will shift to remote learning for the remainder of the semester starting Nov. 16. Classes were scheduled to go remote after Thanksgiving but switching to remote learning earlier gives students the chance to return home before Thanksgiving.
- This fall at At CU Denver there will be four fall 2020 class formats—On-campus, remote, online, and hybrid. When students register for classes, they will find the format for each class in your student portal. More information at https://news.ucdenver.edu/what-will-class-look-like-this-fall/.
- The University of Denver is staggering students return to campus, requiring COVID-19 testing and quarantining for most faculty and staff. Find more information here.
- Metropolitan State University of Denver is planning a mix on-campus and online classes for the fall 2020 semester- Students should be notified about changes to their courses by their Registrar’s Office or their academic department by June. More information here.
- At Naropa University in Boulder, courses will be delivered either entirely online, in-person, or in a hybrid format prior to a November 30th move to the online delivery of all courses for the remaining two weeks of the fall semester. More information here.
- Regis University will offer a mix of in-person, hybrid or blended learning models this fall. For students in our on-campus, traditional, undergraduate and graduate programs and some health profession programs, classes will start a week early on Aug. 17, and on-campus classes will end Nov. 20. More info here.
Student Meal Availablity:

Boulder Valley School District will be distributing several meals’ worth of food items and fresh produce to families: Every Monday from 8/24/20 until further notice from 9-11 AM and 4-6 PM at the locations listed below. BVSD will now be verifying that students of families are enrolled at BVSD, due to changing federal funding requirements. At the site we will ask your student’s name(s) and school that they attend.
Find more information here.
El BVSD distribuirá a las familias suficientes alimentos y productos frescos para hacer varios tipos de comidas todos los Lunes martes y jueves desde Agosto 24 hasta nuevo aviso 9-11 AM and 4-6 PM. Ahora verificaremos que los estudiantes de familias estén inscritos en BVSD, debido a los cambios en los requisitos de financiación federal. En el sitio le preguntaremos el nombre de su estudiante y la escuela a la que asiste.

Sanchez Elementary School/ Primaria Sanchez
Crest View Elementary School/ Primaria Crest View
Columbine Elementary/ Primaria Columbine
Emerald Elementary/ Primaria Emerald
Louisville Middle School/ Secundaria Louisville
Nederland Middle-Senior High School/ Preparatoria Nederland
Manhattan Middle School/ Secundaria Manhattan

St. Vrain Valley School District student meals will be served from 11-12:30 Monday through Thursday and a sack lunch and breakfast will be offered daily. An additional lunch will be offered for Fridays with the Thursday meal.

A student ID number will be needed to pick up meals at the curbside stops. Meals will be “no charge” for any student who qualifies for the 2020-21 free and reduced meal program and all other student meals will cost $3.25 for lunch and $1.50 for breakfast.

Families may complete a new application at www.myschoolapps.com for this school year.

Lyons High School
Hygiene Elementary School
Timberline PK-8
Centennial Elementary School
Soaring Heights PK-8
Thunder Valley K-8
Northridge Elementary School
Sunset Middle School
Mead Middle School
Frederick High School
Altona Middle School

COVID-19 Testing:

Anyone with symptoms should get tested, stay away from others and follow the instructions on how to isolate. While it’s a good idea to wait at about seven days to be tested after the date of exposure, some people may not become ill for up to 14 days.

CLICK HERE for a map and list of COVID-19 testing sites in Colorado. NOTE: make sure to check the eligibility requirements at each location. An appointment is required at most locations.

COVID-19 Resources For The Homeless:

Boulder Area – A COVID-19 Recovery Center (CRC) for unhoused individuals is now open at the East Boulder Community Center to serve homeless individuals from Boulder and Longmont. Individuals who appear to show symptoms of COVID-19 and who will require further testing will be transported from homeless shelters to the CRC. At CRC, symptomatic or positive COVID-19 tested individuals can be in isolation for 10 to 14 days. Homeless shelters have begun daily screenings for clients and will be identifying individuals who require further care. The CRC is not a walk-up service, and individuals must be screened through an existing shelter program. Individuals needing any shelter service are strongly encouraged to contact Coordinated Entry at 303-579-4404.

The CRC will provide community members an individual bed and desk in partitioned areas. The CRC will also provide three meals a day, showers, laundry and internet access. The CRC staff and Medical Reserve Corps will be on site daily to provide supportive check-ins.

Community members who would like to volunteer to support this initiative can sign up at here or here. Contact Margo Josephs with volunteer questions at [email protected].

The Severe Weather Shelter facility on 30th Street in Boulder will be open every day from April 1st, 10:00am to 2:00pm, for facility access that will include hand washing, bathroom facilities and limited shower availability. Bridge House will also be conducting an additional thorough cleaning each day in order to support this service. To address the concern of sheltering generally during this public health emergency, SWS shelter will be open every night through the end of April.

Denver Area – The National Western Complex in Denver is being used as an emergency COVID-19 shelter for those experiencing homelessness, however, the contract between the city of Denver and the National Western Stock Show is set to expire on August 15.

COVID-19 Symptoms:

Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:

Fever or chills
Cough
Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Fatigue
Muscle or body aches
Headache
New loss of taste or smell
Sore throat
Congestion or runny nose
Nausea or vomiting
Diarrhea

If you have COVID-19 symptoms, consider a telehealth visit or nurseline advice before seeking in-person care. Ask your primary care provider if they offer telehealth visits, or call one of Colorado’s nurselines.

Plan for Closures & Changes:

- Consider canceling large events that might cause us to infect each other
- Understand that your plans to participate in large gatherings may be canceled
- Prepare for schools closing and providing students opportunities to learn online instead
- Think about how you will continue to work if your child’s school is closed
- Talk to your children about what they might expect
- Make plans for childcare if you become sick, or when your child is sick
- Consider requesting employers to support tele-working, flexible shifts, cross-training employees to cover when others are out sick, and cancel large meetings or conferences
- Think through how you will take care of sick family members while trying not to get infected
- Cross-train key staff at work so one person’s absence won’t derail your organization’s ability to function