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Colorado coronavirus latest, June 1: CDPHE stresses need for social distancing to avoid spike in cases

The state health department gave an update on the importance of preventative measures through the summer to prevent a dangerous increase in COVID-19.

COLORADO, USA — Denver-based Frontier Airlines has instituted temperature screenings for passengers and crew prior to boarding flights.

Gov. Jared Polis last week said the camps that can open June 1 include mobile, youth sports camps and outdoor camps, and they must operate with restrictions.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment gave an update Monday on the status of the COVID-19 pandemic in Colorado.

Event cancellations on Monday include: BOLDERBoulder, Denver Pop Culture Con and Aurora's Fourth of July celebration.

These are the coronavirus updates for the state on Monday. More details are below, and we'll continue to post information as it comes in throughout the day.

WHAT TO KNOW RIGHT NOW

  • 26,577 cases, up from 26,378 the day prior. 
  • 4,372 hospitalized, up from 4,347 the day prior.
  • 1,458 deaths among those who tested positive for COVID-19, up from 1,445 the day prior.
  • 1,185 deaths due to COVID-19, up from 1,181 the day prior.
  • Get the latest data from the Colorado Dept. of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE).
  • Polis said restaurants can reopen to in-person dining on Wednesday, with strict regulations in place. Day camps and youth sports camps can reopen June 1.
  • Polis extended the state's safer-at-home order to July 1.

Click/tap here to read updates from May 31

State's safer-at-home order amended, extended

Gov. Jared Polis on Monday signed an executive order which transitions the state from the safer-at-home order to what he is calling "Safer at Home and in the Vast, Great Outdoors."

The order, which is in place until July 1, eases some restrictions put into place to slow the spread of COVID-19, and it also encourages Coloradans to get outside – as long as they can maintain proper social distancing.

RELATED: Safer-at-home order extended to July 1, amended to encourage outdoors, allows pools to open

Denver Pop Culture Con canceled, tickets will be refunded

Denver Pop Culture Con announced the cancellation of its 2020 event on Monday due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Tickets will be refunded, according to an email sent to attendees. The 2021 convention is scheduled for May 14-16, and guest announcements will begin later this year, the email says.

The 2020 convention originally was scheduled for July 4 weekend and then was postponed to Thanksgiving weekend, before the cancellation announced Monday.

BOLDERBoulder canceled

Organizers for BOLDERBoulder have canceled this year's race. The race had already been pushed back to Labor Day weekend from its usual Memorial Day running due to coronavirus concerns.

Organizers said the cancellation was out of "an abundance of caution related to COVID-19."

BOLDERBoulder is slated to run on Memorial Day, May 31, 2021.

Race officials said runners who already registered will be offered several options and alternatives for the 2021 BOLDERBoulder.

CDPHE gives update on the COVID-19 pandemic in Colorado

State health officials said in their update Monday on the COVID-19 pandemic that people must continue social distancing and other preventative measures through the summer to avoid a dangerous increase in cases.

"We are still not out of the woods," said Jill Ryan, executive director of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE). "The more people interact, the more transmission will increase."

Modeling by the Colorado School of Public Health shows that Coloradans must maintain 65% social distancing over the next few months to avoid a spike in COVID-19 cases that would overwhelm the state's health-care system. That means people should reduce the size and frequency of their interactions by more than half, said state epidemiologist Dr. Rachel Herlihy.

It's critical that those older than 60 should practice a high level of social distancing because they are most likely to suffer severe illness and hospitalization from COVID-19, officials said.

CDPHE also said it's important for people to continue wearing face coverings when in public and to get tested if they are symptomatic.

Health officials estimated that 171,000 people in Colorado had been infected with COVID-19 by May 15, which is 2.9% of the population. Cases continue to decline in the state, but the rate of decline has decreased as statewide restrictions have loosened.

The reproductive number for the virus has remained below 1, which means statistically, each infected person is passing the virus to fewer than one other person. Officials said they've seen a slight increase in the reproductive number over the past month.

As for concerns over a spike in cases due to protests in several cities, health officials said any large gathering increases the risk of the virus' transmission and that data will show the result of the protests in about two weeks. Herlihy said that anyone who becomes symptomatic should get tested.

Frontier Airlines starts screening temperature of passengers, crew

Frontier Airlines has started screening the temperature of all passengers and crew members prior to boarding flights, the Denver-based airline said Monday.

Anyone with a temperature of 100.4 degrees or higher will not be allowed to board the flight, according to an airline news release. Frontier also requires face coverings for passengers and crew members throughout the flight.

Passengers will be screened with touchless thermometers prior to boarding. If a passenger's temperature reads 100.4 degrees or higher, they will have a chance to rest before receiving a second check. If their temperature is still high, they will not be allowed to board the flight and Frontier will work with them to move their flight to a later date, the airline says.

Day camp, youth sports camps can open on Monday

Gov. Jared Polis last week said the camps that can open June 1 include mobile, youth sports camps and outdoor camps, and they must operate with restrictions.

Those restrictions include:

  • A limit of 25 campers per group at outdoor camps, and 10 campers per group at indoor camps.
  • Campers must remain in their group and not mix with other groups.
  • Campers must be spaced six feet apart to the greatest extent possible.
  • Campers and staff must be screened for symptoms, and there must be an isolated space available for anyone found ill. Anyone with symptoms consistent with COVID-19 must be sent home.

Decisions on overnight camps for July and August will be made in mid-June.

"Colorado kids will be able to enjoy day camps and youth sports camps this summer in as safe a manner as possible," Polis said in a statement. "The risk, though less, is still very real, and it's up to families to make the best decisions that work for them."

City of Aurora cancels Fourth of July event

Aurora said Monday that the city is canceling its Fourth of July event due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, when people usually gather on the Aurora Municipal Center Great Lawn to watch fireworks launch from nearby Bicentennial Park. Other city events that are being canceled are: the Buskers, Brews & BBQ on June 13, and Colorado Remembers on Aug. 1.

Coronavirus cases in Colorado

CDPHE on May 15 changed the way it was reporting data in two ways:

  • The number of deaths among people with COVID-19. This represents the total number of deaths reported among people who have COVID-19, but COVID-19 may not have been the cause of death listed on the death certificate. This information is required by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and is crucial for public health surveillance, as it provides more information about disease transmission and can help identify risk factors among all deaths across populations.
  • The number of deaths among people who died from COVID-19: This represents the total number of people whose death was attributed to COVID-19 as indicated on a death certificate. This number is determined by the CDC and is updated daily for dates through the previous Saturday.

In Colorado, CDPHE reports 26,577 people have tested positive for the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, up from 26,098 the day prior.

Fatalities

CDPHE reports:

  • 1,458 deaths among people with COVID-19
  • 1,185 deaths due to COVID-19

The day prior, 1,445 people had died, 1,181 from COVID-19.

The majority of deaths — 54% — are among people over age 80; 23% of deaths occurred in people between ages 70-79 and 13% were in people ages 60-69.

The graph below shows the total number of people in Colorado who have died after a COVID-19 diagnosis, since the first death happened on March 13.

Hospitalizations

Of those who tested positive for the disease, a total of 4,372 hospitalizations have been reported, up from 4,347 the day prior.

As of 2:58 p.m. on June 1, 272 patients were hospitalized with the disease, according to the most recent data from the Colorado Hospital Association. Within the last 24 hours, 30 patients have been transferred or discharged.

Note: 91% of facilities reported data on June 1.

This graph below shows the number of people currently hospitalized with a COVID-19 diagnosis and the number of people who have been discharged within 24 hours. This is a key metric because it can be an indicator of whether or not Colorado’s hospital system is being overwhelmed by the virus.

Testing

According to CDPHE, 188,069 people have been tested, up from 183,947 the day prior, and 60 counties have reported cases, the same number as the day before.

This graph below shows the number of tests the state processed in a day. This is another key metric because the state’s ability to reopen will depend on the number of tests Colorado can run each day. As testing improves, the number of cases will rise because the more tests that are conducted, the more cases will be found.

Positivity is the number of tests that come back with a COVID-19 result. Above 10% could be an indicator that not enough testing is being done and that only people likely to have COVID are getting tested.

Please note that there may be a lull or spike in reported case data due to how it's reported. CDPHE data changes as labs, hospitals, facilities and local agencies report their own data. For example, a spike in the number of deaths does not necessarily mean that many more people died within 24 hours, but rather is indicative of when the data is entered into the system. New data is released daily at 4 p.m.

> See the latest numbers from the state health department.

COVID-19 is a disease caused by a virus that first appeared in Wuhan, China, in late 2019. Symptoms of COVID-19 can include fever, cough and breathing trouble. Most patients develop only mild symptoms. But some people, usually those with other medical complications, develop more severe symptoms, including pneumonia, which can be fatal.

RELATED: The specifics of each Colorado county's safer-at-home orders

RELATED: FAQ: Dr. Kohli answers your questions about the coronavirus

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