DENVER (KDVR) – With the COVID-19 positivity rate on the rise in Colorado, hospitals like Swedish Medical Center in Englewood are once again requiring masks in all areas, not just in the clinical spaces.

“We are seeing a rise in COVID cases among our own staff and that’s concerning,” said Dr. Jaya Kumar, the chief medical officer.

She said that both the COVID case numbers and the positivity rate are up in the state, but she looks more at the hospitalization numbers.

“For public health measures, we probably are more focused on hospitalizations than on case counts at this point. Fortunately, they’ve shown an uptick, but not to the extent that it’s as worrisome as the last omicron wave,” Kumar said.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment sent text messages and email reminders to about 650,000 people, age 50 and older, whose records indicate they are eligible for the fourth dose of the vaccine. Only 16.5% of Coloradans over 50 have received that fourth dose.

“If you are going on a cruise ship, probably a good idea, just because you can’t really escape people. If you are going to be in places where you know you are going to be in high dense populations or crowds because you are all going to the same attraction, probably a good idea,” the Senior Medical Director of Infection Prevention at UCHealth Dr. Michelle Barron explained.

According to her, people have to assess their own risk to consider boosters, especially if they are traveling.