DENVER (KDVR) — As COVID cases are slowly but gradually increasing in Denver, health officials announced Friday that the community level has changed.
The City and County of Denver was at a medium, or yellow, risk level as of Friday.
Masks have not been implemented but the city is encouraging residents to be aware of symptoms and those susceptible to illness are being warned to be diligent.
The city provided these tips and resources to keep you and your family safe from the recent uptick in cases since early April.
- Pay attention to COVID-19 indicators in your community.
- Have high-quality masks on hand, whether you choose to wear one or not is your choice.
- Keep COVID-19 tests at home. Get free, at-home tests delivered directly to your home.
- Vaccine calculators are a good way to keep track of your family’s COVID-19 vaccination status and make the completion of each person’s vaccination series simple.
- Make a plan for antiviral drug treatment. Denver residents can use the Test to Treat program to seek antiviral treatment for COVID-19.
- If you’ve been exposed to COVID-19, use the CDC’s Quarantine and Isolation Calculator. This tool can help determine how long you need to isolate, quarantine or take other steps to prevent spreading COVID-19.
Different levels of COVID prevention
Denver is following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Community Level indicators. These guidelines are to help people make the best personal choice based on the number of hospital beds being used by COVID-19 patients, hospital admissions and the total number of new COVID-19 cases in the area.
Here are the different levels and what is involved with each of them:
Low (Green)
- Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines
- Get tested if you have symptoms
Medium (Yellow)
- If you are at high risk for severe illness, talk to your health care provider about whether you need to wear a mask and take other precautions
- Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines
- Get tested if you have symptoms
High (Red)
- Wear a mask indoors in public
- Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines
- Get tested if you have symptoms
- Additional precautions may be needed for people at risk for severe illness.
Denver’s current COVID status
As of May 11, Denver’s one-week average positivity rate is 7.95% and as of Friday, 19 people are hospitalized with COVID-19.
Denver has a fairly high vaccination rate with 88% of residents age 5 and older receiving their first dose, and 80.7% of residents age 5 and older being fully vaccinated. Only half the population has received a booster.
Denver’s one-week cumulative incidence rate (7-day average of cases per 100,000 population) is 209 as of Wednesday.
To date, 175,838 Denverites have contracted the coronavirus and 1,372 have died from it.