DENVER — A total of 56.4% of Colorado's population has received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and 51.9% is fully vaccinated, according to the latest data from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE).
Statewide, there are 275 patients currently hospitalized with COVID-19 as of July 23, and there have been an average of 521 new cases of the virus per day over the last seven days.
Hospitalizations are a key metric for health officials since they indicate whether the healthcare system is being overwhelmed by the virus. Since vaccines have become widely available, doctors have said the vast majority of new COVID-19 hospitalizations are people who have not received a shot.
Under the newest CDPHE guidelines, counties may have to enact increased COVID-19 restrictions if hospitalizations in their region exceed 85% of capacity. State-mandated limits of indoor and outdoor gatherings are no longer in place, but different counties may have different rules.
We will update the below graphics with the latest information about COVID-19 trends in the state when they are released at 4 p.m.
Vaccines
Everyone in Colorado who is over the age of 12 is now eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.
An estimated 879,801 Coloradans are younger than 12 and are currently not eligible to receive a vaccine.
Health officials have previously said that around 70% of the total population would need to be vaccinated to achieve herd immunity.
The pie chart below shows Colorado's vaccination progress:
Colorado received its first shipment of the COVID-19 vaccine on Dec. 14. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) in December authorized emergency use for both the Pfizer vaccine and the Moderna vaccine. Both were shown to be around 95% effective in clinical trials and require two doses. Johnson & Johnson's vaccine was granted emergency use authorization on Feb. 27. It was shown to be 86% effective at preventing severe disease and requires one dose.
On April 13, the FDA recommended a pause on the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to investigate reports of rare but potentially dangerous blood clots. The clots were found in 15 women, most under age 50. Three of them died. On April 23, U.S. health officials lifted the pause after scientific advisers decided its benefits outweigh the risk.
The Pfizer vaccine is the one shot that has been approved for children between 12 and 17.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) changed its guidance in May allowing people who are fully vaccinated to forego masks in most settings. Colorado has since followed suit.
They are still required in healthcare settings and on public transportation.
Hospitalizations
The graph below shows the number of people currently hospitalized with a COVID-19 diagnosis and the number of people who have been discharged or transferred 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.
In April 2020, hospitalizations first peaked at 888 in one day. That number was surpassed Nov. 5, when the number increased to 894, and it climbed through Dec. 2 when hospitalizations peaked at just below 2,000.
Cases
See a graph of new cases by day below:
The number of new cases reported in a single day peaked on Nov. 12, with 6,801 Coloradans testing positive for COVID-19.
Positivity and testing
See Colorado's latest positivity rate in the graphic below:
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. The World Health Organization recommended in May 2020 that the positivity rate should be even lower, 5%, to contain the virus.
See the number of tests given in Colorado by day on the graph below:
Fatalities
CDPHE reports there have been:
- 6,788 deaths among people with COVID-19
- 7,009 deaths due to COVID-19
The chart below shows deaths by day as reported to CDPHE. It's worth mentioning that deaths are a lagging metric, meaning that there are often multiple days between when someone dies and when that information is distributed to health officials.
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