COVID-19 weekly summary
PRESS RELEASE
March 16, 2021
One year with COVID, Phase 1B.4 opens, spring break predictions, variant updates
One year with COVID
Sunday, March 14, marks one year since the first reported case of COVID-19 in Garfield County. Nearly 14 cases per day for a total of over 5,300 cases of the virus have been reported over the course of the year. The hospitals cared for hundreds of patients and tragically, 39 people lost their lives. There is a light at the end of the tunnel with close to 17,000 people (nearly 30 percent of the Garfield County population) having at least one dose of vaccine.
Masks and distancing continue be very important. Though vaccines are leading the news, public health is still working on cases of new people contracting and spreading COVID and investigating active outbreaks. This is a critical moment where everyone must continue protective measures a little longer to allow time for all groups to be vaccinated.
Vaccine Phase 1B.4 opens Friday, March 19
• Anyone age 50+
• People with high-risk conditions
• Frontline essential workers and continuation of operations for state government and continuity of local government. *See further details on the state vaccine webpage
• Find out when and where to be vaccinated on the Garfield County vaccine page
• Following 1B.4, the vaccine will be open to the general public
Spring Break estimates show 40% of visitors to ski towns will come from Texas
The state recently provided local public health agencies with an update on spring break 2021. The state is expecting a large volume of visitors coming to Colorado. The data included a breakout of visitors to ski areas by state. Leading the visitors with 40 percent is Texas. States with lifted mask and occupancy restrictions have health officials concerned that spring break could bring spikes in cases if current prevention measures are not followed.
*If you are planning on traveling for spring break, be sure to check the CDC travel guide:
Variant update
• 8 confirmed cases with the B.1.1.7 (UK) variant in Garfield County, 2 under investigation
• 3 confirmed B.1.427/429 (CA) variant in Garfield County
CURRENT STATS – these come from Johns Hopkins, covidtracking.com, CDPHE
| Geographic area | Total cases | Currently hospitalized | Deaths | Recovered |
| Global | 119,773,122 | Not Available (N/A) | 2,651,754 | 67,839,451 |
| United States | 29,432,952 | 40,212 | 534,841 | N/A |
| Colorado | 436,602 | 326 | 5,989 | 23,003 |
| Garfield County | 5,338 | N/A | 39 Confirmed | N/A |
| Eagle County | 5,297 | N/A | 22 | N/A |
| Pitkin County | 2,134 | N/A | 4 | N/A |
| Mesa County | 13,527 | 14 | 122 | 13,360 |
*This number represents patients discharged in the state
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Cases since last week
• 73 cases reported/added 3/8-3/14, for a rolling average of 10.4 cases added per day.
Deaths
• 39 confirmed COVID-19 related deaths
• 2 deaths have occurred amongst COVID-19 cases; cause of death was not COVID-19
• 0 deaths under investigation
• 0 new death reported since last week
STATE DIAL INFORMATION (3/8 – 3/14)
One-week cumulative incidence rate:
Monday: 61.5
Tuesday: 63.2
Wednesday: 66.5
Thursday: 66.5
Friday: 94.4
Saturday: 103.0
Sunday: 114.7
Test positivity, one-week period:
Monday: 2.3%
Tuesday: 2.3%
Wednesday: 2.4%
Thursday: 3.1%
Friday: Not recorded
Saturday: 4.0%
Sunday: 4.4%
Hospitalizations, days with stable or declining hospitalizations (previous 14 days):
Monday: 12
Tuesday: 12
Wednesday: 12
Thursday: 11
Friday: 11
Saturday: Not recorded
Sunday: 12
VACCINATIONS
*Last week nearly 6,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine were distributed last week in Garfield County. We are awaiting updated numbers from our vaccinating partners. Approximately 2,900 doses are anticipated to be distributed this week for first and second doses in the county.