A year ago this month, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment began tracking outbreaks of COVID-19 in the state. Out of more than 4,000 sites identified as outbreaks since then, 32 have registered more than 100 COVID-19 cases each, with five of them topping 1,000 several by a lot.
The department s data, most recently updated on March 31, shows that the vast majority of those mega-outbreaks remain under active investigation a reflection of the massive infection counts and their potential ripple effects. Even the outbreak at the Weld County Jail, whose start date is listed as April 1, 2020, and Denver s Van Cise-Simonet Detention Center, which began last April 30, are still classified as active. The largest outbreak considered resolved was a November 2020 flare-up at the Arkansas Valley Correctional Facility in Crowley County, following 1,044 cases and four resident (i.e., inmate) deaths.
At a March 16 press conference, Governor Jared Polis revealed that COVID-19 cases in Colorado have plateaued at a higher level than officials would prefer, hospitalizations from the novel coronavirus are inching up again, and variants are increasing at a worrisome clip. As a result, a return to what was considered normal prior to the pandemic may be further off than he had predicted just a week earlier.
Outbreaks are growing, too, with 91 new sites added to the state s list on March 10. As has been the case since the pandemic started a year ago, many of those under active investigation are associated with national chains doing business in Colorado. Some of the outbreaks on the most recent list are relatively fresh, while others have been going on for months, including an outbreak at a metro Home Depot that is connected to more than 100 staff cases. And it s hardly the only link in a chain with an infection total close to triple digits.
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Of the national chains with the most outbreaks of COVID-19 in Colorado, some seem to be doing a better job of keeping the virus at bay. But the number of outbreaks at others continues to grow, and so does the size of the outbreaks.
Just two chain outbreaks have spawned more than 100 cases each, while many others have infected dozens of staffers.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment considers an entity an outbreak after two or more COVID-19 cases among residents, staffers or other people connected to a specific location are confirmed within a fourteen-day period, or two or more cases of respiratory illness with an onset of symptoms within a fourteen-day period are paired with at least one additional COVID-19 diagnosis. The vast majority of businesses and facilities identified as outbreaks remain open while working with the department to monitor symptoms and prevent future infections.