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DENVER (KDVR) — At exactly 9 a.m. Sunday, thousands of Colorado residents received an alert, warning that they are in a region that is at severe risk from COVID-19.

People rushed to open the website listed in the alert for more information, but the high volume of traffic temporarily crashed the site run by the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment and the Colorado State Emergency Operations Center.

The alert was targeted to Coloradans in the several counties that are now in Level Red. The Colorado State Joint Information Center released this statement to FOX31 as to why the alert was sent out:

“The alert is to notify Coloradans about the direness of the COVID-19 situation in our state. We need everyone to avoid gatherings outside of their household, including Thanksgiving gatherings; wear a mask anytime they go outside their house; keep physical distance — at least 6 feet — from others they may encounter. Now is the time to take every precaution which is why the alert was sent. 1 out of 49 people in our state is infected with this deadly virus.”