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New COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continue to drop in Colorado, suggesting the state could emerge from the pandemic without another wave of deaths if people can maintain their precautions a bit longer.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment reported that 433 people had been hospitalized with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 on Monday afternoon. New cases were at their lowest level since the first week of October, with 6,227 cases registered in the week ending Sunday.
Public health experts have compared the situation on an old-fashioned scale, with vaccinations and precautions like wearing masks on one side and more contagious versions of the virus on the other.
No one really knows how prevalent the new variants are in Colorado, but the fact that cases continue to decline suggests that other factors are overtaking them, at least for now, said Dr. Jon Samet, Dean of the Colorado School of Public Health. The state’s health department has confirmed 86 cases of COVID-19 caused by more contagious variants.
“The good news is that the curve is still going down,” he said. “I think we can probably give Coloradans a lot of credit.”
The state’s numbering framework changed on February 6, and so far increased capacity for businesses has not resulted in more statewide transmission. That could still change and the virus has spread more widely in some mountain towns.
“Overall, we continue to do OK,” Samet said. “We have to stay true to measures that everyone has had enough of.”
As of Monday afternoon, the state reported that 412,839 people had received a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and 388,490 had received both vaccines. The pace of vaccinations slowed last week, possibly because some sites closed due to extreme cold.
The vast majority of doses have come in at sites along the Front Range, but some smaller counties are leading after adjusting for population. San Juan County, which had a population of 728 according to the latest census estimates, distributed 501 injections, or about 69 per 100 people. However, it is possible that not all of these people are residents of the county.
On the Front Range, the prices seem less impressive. Broomfield County leads the way, with 26 injections given per 100 people, and Jefferson County is not far behind, with about 24 per 100 people.
Denver administered approximately 21 injections per 100 people. El Paso and Adams counties move up the rear on the Front Range, with about 16 shots per 100 people.
Counties with fewer people over 65 are bound to lag behind those with older populations because fewer people are eligible. Rural areas may also have more eligible residents as a result of their employment, as hospitals and school districts are often large employers in small communities.
As of March, 421,294 people in Colorado have tested positive for the virus and 23,183 have been hospitalized. The state has reported 5,893 coronavirus-related deaths.
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