New Colorado COVID Cases Double in a Week

Updated COVID-19 statistics reported by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment reveal another big upswing in cases of the virus across the state over the past week, as well as continuing high hospitalization figures.  And while the stats in other categories, including COVID outbreaks, appear to be moderating, it’s too soon to tell whether they indicate that the latest wave is ebbing or if Colorado is in the calm before another storm.

Here are the current COVID numbers in major categories, as updated by the CDPHE after 4 p.m. June 1, along with information from our previous COVID data roundup, which drew from May 25 data:

1,449,140 cases (up 22,842 from May 25)
62,931 hospitalized (up 180 from May 25)
64 counties (unchanged from May 25)
12,548 deaths among cases (up 32 from May 25)
13,331 deaths due to COVID-19 (up 23 from May 25)
8,951 outbreaks (up 73 from May 25)

Four takeaways:

• The 22,842 new COVID-19 cases for the seven days ending June 1 are roughly double the 11,508 reported for the same period on May 25 and four times higher than the 5,747 registered the week ending March 14. Moreover, the 2,515 infections confirmed on May 26 was the highest daily total since 2,613 on February 9.

• The new hospitalization numbers show a slight decline, from 186 on May 25 to 180 on June 1. But other metrics are more troubling. The 225 confirmed COVID patients hospitalized during the week of May 31 was the highest since 246 on March 8. And the 141 new admissions on May 26 was the largest number since February 8, when 175 patients checked in.

• Fatality figures are not rising, however. The CDPHE toll for the week ending June 1 was 23, compared to 25 on May 25.

• The state’s seven-day-average positivity rate of 11.85 percent on June 1 is even worse than the 9.20 percent on May 25; the CDPHE sees any measure above 5 percent as an indication that not enough testing is being done. Meanwhile, COVID-19 samples sequenced by the agency during the week of May 15, the most recent for which information is available, shows that the original Omicron strain has given way to four subvariants. According to the department’s breakdown, 47.99 percent of cases were linked to Omicron 2, 46.98 percent to Omicron 3, 2.73 percent to Omicron 4 and 2.30 percent to Omicron 5, with no others detected.

Last month, the state health department confirmed a new approach to tracking COVID-19 outbreaks. While what COVID-19 Joint Information Center spokesperson Paul Bishop described as “high-risk congregate settings” such as schools, child-care centers and health-care facilities catering to seniors are still expected to closely monitor the disease and inform the state health department when infections meet or exceed certain thresholds, that’s no longer the case for retail outlets and many other businesses. “At this time, we are not requiring that all workplace outbreaks be reported to CDPHE,” Bishop said.

Now, however, Bishop reveals that “some organizations may have misunderstood some aspects about outbreak reporting and response,” prompting the agency to adjust its messaging. “Any type of outbreak in any setting is reportable to public health, so public health can provide disease control recommendations,” Bishop notes. “CDPHE is not requiring local public health agencies to report outbreaks in non-high risk settings, but we encourage businesses to report outbreaks to their local public health agency so they can provide disease control recommendations. Additionally, businesses should continue to follow our guidelines for best practices to keep their business and customers safe.”

Even so, the new outbreaks reported on June 1 are down substantially, from 93 on May 25 to 57 on June 1. Forty of the entries fall under the health-care category, with most specializing in senior care, and some of those outbreaks are large. Denver’s Health Center at Franklin Park has been linked to seven resident cases and eleven staff cases, while Mesa County’s Hilltop Adjustment Program has experienced thirteen resident cases and fifteen staff cases.

An even larger outbreak occurred at Agilent Technologies in Boulder, where spread has infected 45 staff members. Other outbreaks of note include three separate locations at the University of Denver, a church in Boulder and a Walmart in Las Animas County.

Here are the 57 new or tweaked active outbreaks identified by the CDPHE on June 1, along with the date when the outbreak was cited and the people impacted:

1. Agilent Technologies, Non-Food Manufactuer/Warehouse, Boulder County, 5/25/2022, 45 staff cases
2. Alamosa County Detention Facility: May 2022, Jail, Alamosa County, 5/19/2022, 4 resident cases, 1 staff case
3. Amberwood Court Rehabilitation and Care Community (020460): May 2022, Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, Denver County, 5/12/2022, 2 staff cases
4. American Gaming Hospitality II, Casino, Teller County, 5/31/2022, 7 staff cases
5. Aviva at Fitzsimons (02S294): May 2022, Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, Adams County, 5/20/2022, 7 staff cases
6. Balfour Longmont (23L108): May 2022, Healthcare, Assisted Living, Boulder County, 5/25/2022, 2 resident cases, 3 staff cases
7. Boulder Canyon Health and Rehab (020339): May 2022, Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, Boulder County, 5/25/2022, 2 staff cases
8. Briarwood Health Care Center (020470): May 2022, Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, Denver County, 5/26/2022, 1 resident case, 1 staff case
9. Broadmoor Elementary School: May 2022, School, K-12, El Paso County, 5/23/2022, 6 staff cases, 4 attendee cases
10. Brookdale Skyline Assisted Living (23054K): May 2022, Healthcare, Assisted Living, El Paso County, 5/26/2022, 4 staff cases
11. Centennial Peaks Hospital: May 2022, Healthcare, Psychiatric Behavioral Health Hospital, Boulder County, 5/25/2022, 5 staff cases
12. Colorado Assisted Living Homes — Kendall (2304JT), Healthcare, Assisted Living, Jefferson County, 5/9/2022, 2 resident cases, 1 staff case
13. Colorado Department of Corrections Westminster Parole Office, Correctional, Adams County, 5/27/2022, 6 staff cases
14. DCS Montessori Charter School, School, K-12, Douglas County, 5/26/2022, 1 staff case, 4 attendee cases
15. Denver Health Hospital — Psychiatric Ward, Healthcare, Psychiatric Hospital, Denver County, 5/25/2022, 14 resident cases
16. Eben Ezer Lutheran Care Center-II (2301H4): May 2022, Healthcare, Assisted Living, Morgan County, 5/18/2022, 1 resident case, 1 staff case
17. Falcon Heights Health and Rehabilitation Center (020586): May 2022, Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, El Paso County, 5/25/2022, 4 staff cases
18. Fountain View Health and Rehabilitation Center (020561): May 2022, Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, El Paso County, 5/17/2022, 4 staff cases
19. Friendship House at the Home (23C967): May 2022, Healthcare, Assisted Living, Fremont County, 5/24/2022, 3 staff cases
20. Garden Plaza of Aurora (23O623): May 2022, Healthcare, Assisted Living, Arapahoe County, 5/26/2022, 5 resident cases
21. Health Center at Franklin Park (020439): May 2022, Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, Denver County, 5/27/2022, 7 resident cases, 11 staff cases
22. Hilltop Life Adjustment Program (23Q649): May 2022, Healthcare, Assisted Living, Mesa County, 5/25/2022, 13 resident cases, 15 staff cases
23. Holly Creek — Independent Living: May 2022, Healthcare, Independent Living Facility, Arapahoe ?County, 5/26/2022, 12 resident cases
24. Jarrow Montessori School: May 2022, Child Care Center, Boulder County, 5/26/2022, 1 staff case, 5 attendee cases
25. Jogan Health, Office/Indoor Workspace, Arapahoe County, 6/1/2022, 6 staff cases
26. Life Care Center of Littleton (0204RB): May 2022, Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, Arapahoe County, 5/24/2022, 7 resident cases, 2 staff cases
27. Life Care Center of Westminster (0204W2): May 2022 #2, Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, Adams County, 5/30/2022, 2 staff cases
28. Mantey Heights Rehabilitation and Care Center (021149): May 2022, Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, Mesa County, 5/18/2022, 3 staff cases
29. MorningStar at Mountain Shadows (23Y392): May 2022, Healthcare, Assisted Living, El Paso County, 5/27/2022, 13 resident cases
30. Neiman Marcus, Retailer, Denver County, 5/25/2022, 8 staff cases
31. Park Regency Thornton (23Q568): May 2022, Healthcare, Assisted Living, Adams County, 5/28/2022, 2 resident cases, 2 staff cases
32. Pueblo Center — Genesis (020662): May 2022, Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, Pueblo County, 5/18/2022, 14 resident cases, 4 staff cases
33. Rio Grande Inn (02I146): May 2022, Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, Conejos County, 5/17/2022, 4 resident cases, 2 staff cases
34. Riverbend Health and Rehabilitation Center (020302): May 2022, Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, Larimer County, 5/27/.2022 1 resident case, 7 attendee cases
35. Rocky Mountain Assisted Living (23G933), Healthcare, Assisted Living, Douglas County, 5/26/2022, 2 resident cases
36. Rocky Mountain Assisted Living — Quincy West (23F494): May 2022, Healthcare, Assisted Living, Jefferson County 5/27/2022, 3 resident cases, 1 staff case
37. Saint Paul’s United Methodist Church, Religious Facility, Boulder County, 5/9/2022, 2 staff cases, 4 attendee cases
38. Scout Clean Energy, Office/Indoor Workspace, Boulder County, 5/31/2022, 13 staff cases
39. Shiloh House — Longmont, Healthcare, Alcohol/Drug Abuse Treatment (Inpatient), Weld County, 5/26/2022, 2 resident cases, 3 staff cases
40. Silver Heights Care Center (020591): May 2022, Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, Douglas County, 5/23/2022, 1 resident case, 1 staff case
41. SkyView Academy: May 2022, School, K-12, Douglas County, 5/25/2022, 1 staff case, 5 attendee cases
42. Southeast Colorado Hospital Long Term Care Facility (020223): May 2022, Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, Baca County, 5/27/2022, 2 staff cases
43. Stonecreek of Littleton (23N524): May 2022, Healthcare, Assisted Living, Arapahoe County, 5/25/2022, 17 resident cases, 5 staff cases
44. Sunny Vista Living Center (020517): May 2022, Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, El Paso County, 5/13/2022, 2 resident cases, 5 staff cases
45. The Center at Park West (02E472): May 2022, Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, Pueblo County, 5/20/2022, 2 resident cases
46. The Healthcare Resort of Colorado Springs (02U718): May 2022, Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, El Paso County, 5/16/2022, 2 resident cases, 2 staff cases
47. The Peaks Care Center (020391): May 2022, Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, Boulder County, 5/13/2022, 2 staff cases
48. The Retreat at Highlands (23O618): May 2022, Healthcare, Assisted Living, Jefferson County, 5/20/2022, 6 resident cases, 1 staff case
49. The Suites at Holly Creek Care Center (02D456): May 2022, Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, Arapahoe County, 5/9/2022, 3 resident cases
50. University of Denver — Capstone Project , College/University, Denver County, 5/25/2022, 7 attendee cases
51. University of Denver — Counseling Psychology, College/University, Denver County, 5/24/2022, 15 attendee cases
52. University of Denver — Health and Counseling Center, College/University, Denver County, 5/24/2022, 8 attendee cases
53. Vi at Highlands Ranch Skilled Nursing (02M203): May 2022, Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, Douglas County, 5/25/2022, 3 staff cases
54. Via Mobility Services, Paratransit, Boulder County, 5/24/2022, 5 staff cases
55. Walmart #1001: December 2021, Retailer, Pueblo County, 2/7/2022, 70 staff cases
56. Walmart #962: May 2022, Retailer, Las Animas County, 5/26/2022, 7 staff cases
57. Westlake Lodge Health and Rehabilitation Center (020317): May 2022, Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, Weld County, 5/24/2022, 2 staff cases