Denver raises COVID-19 community level to Medium as cases of the coronavirus increase

DENVER — Denver and two different Colorado counties raised their COVID-19 neighborhood degree danger to “medium” Friday, underscoring the necessity to stay vigilant because the BA.2 sublineage of the omicron variant continues to drive up instances throughout Colorado.

Denver Division of Public Well being and Atmosphere (DDPHE) officers mentioned in a information launch Friday residents ought to take into account taking extra precautions because the variety of COVID-19 instances per 100,000 individuals have now exceeded 200, shifting the COVID-19 neighborhood degree from low to medium, per the newest pointers from the U.S. Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC).

The brand new pointers — based mostly on lagging indicators such because the quantity hospital beds getting used and the quantity hospital admissions, as a substitute of main indicators (equivalent to the entire variety of new COVID-19 instances in an space) — advocate that individuals residing in a county with “medium” COVID-19 neighborhood danger speak to their physician about whether or not they should put on a masks and take different precautions. Additionally they counsel individuals keep up-to-date with their COVID-19 vaccinations and get examined if you happen to expertise cold-like signs.

“Since early April, charges of COVID-19 instances have been slowly, however steadily, growing,” DDPHE officers mentioned Friday. “Whereas the present surge shouldn’t be anticipated to be almost as giant because the Omicron surge earlier this yr, it is a good alternative to remind our neighborhood learn how to keep protected, protected and ready for COVID-19.”

Denver’s one-week incidence price of instances per 100,000 individuals as of Friday was 209. The county’s 7-day common positivity price stood at 7.95%, almost 3 share factors above what’s advisable by officers to curb transmission of the virus.

Earlier Friday, Boulder Conty Public Well being officers mentioned in a information launch the shift of their county’s COVID-19 neighborhood degree to “medium” signifies the danger of getting contaminated with the novel virus is growing locally, and extra measures to curb transmission are advisable to maintain different protected and restrict the pressure on healthcare programs in Boulder County.

“The rise of instances was not sudden because the extra contagious BA.2 variant spreads domestically and nationally,” mentioned Carol Helwig, communicable illness program supervisor for Boulder County Public Well being (BCPH). “It is vital for all of us to remain aware of making use of measures to guard one another, particularly to guard people who find themselves older or who’ve underlying medical situations. Therapeutics can forestall essentially the most extreme outcomes of illness. It is a good time to speak to your medical supplier and guarantee that you’ve a plan to entry remedy promptly if you happen to turn into in poor health.”

Among the many recommendatio to maintain your self and others protected as instances proceed to extend:

• Get vaccinated and keep up-to-date in your COVID-19 vaccinations
• Get examined earlier than gathering with somebody at excessive danger of extreme illness, hospitalization, or loss of life attributable to COVID-19
• Improve the airflow and air flow in indoor environments by opening home windows or utilizing HEPA filters to enhance air high quality inside your private home, or if gathering, transfer actions outside
• Put on a well-fitted, high-quality medical-grade masks
• Wash your palms totally for a minimum of 20 seconds
• Comply with the county’s isolation and quarantine pointers if you happen to take a look at constructive.

Mineral County in southwestern Colorado is the third county below COVID-19 Degree Medium, per the CDC’s COVID-19 county map. The earlier CDC pointers, which centered solely on the extent of neighborhood transmission, exhibits a big chunk of the state is below a degree of danger the place using a face masks is advisable.

On Thursday, San Juan Basin Public Well being, which serves La Plata and Archuleta counties, warned its constituents to think about taking extra precautions to curb transmission of the coronavirus as concentrations of the virus in Durango’s wastewater have greater than doubled previously 16 days, to ranges final seen in early February, in response to a information launched obtained by our companions at The Denver Submit.

Information from the state exhibits the BA.2 sublineage of the omicron variant accounts for almost three quarters of all infections in Colorado, whereas its cousin, BA.2.12.1 — which is believed to be 30% extra transmissible than BA.2 — makes up almost 20% of all infections.

BA.2.12.1 is about to turn into the dominant variant within the U.S. by the tip of this week.