El Paso County Sheriff’s Office holds remembrance ceremony to honor Deputy Jeff Hopkins
EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) Thursday, the El Paso County Sheriff s Office held a remembrance ceremony to honor El Paso County Deputy Jeff Hopkins.
Hopkins lost his battle with COVID-19 on April 1, 2020, he was 41.
According to deputies, Hopkins had been working at the El Paso County Jail before falling ill. He was absolutely a kind gentleman. He was very soft-spoken, but when he did say things, they were of value and of heart, said Sgt. Tyrren Smith during the remembrance ceremony.
The El Paso County Health Department determined his passing of COVID-19 was a direct result of his line of duty action.
COVID-19 incidence and positive test rates in El Paso County are climbing despite reaching vaccination milestones, health officials cautioned Thursday.
The percentage of positive results among those tested, which hovered between 5% and 6% for weeks, is now at nearly 7% the highest it has been since late January, the health department reported Thursday. A rate of 5% or less is the recommended level for opening communities, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Our metrics are trending in the wrong direction right now, moving us further away from Level Blue,” Fadi Youkhana, epidemiologist for El Paso County Public Health, said, referring to the state s color-coded system of pandemic restrictions. El Paso County remains in the Yellow level, which is more restrictive than Blue.
Commencement for this year’s class will be on May 23, said spokeswoman Leslie Weddell.
The ceremony for the class of 2020 which did not have a graduation last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic will be a week later, on May 30.
Both events will begin at 9 a.m. at the new Weidner Field stadium for the Switchbacks FC, off Cimarron Street in downtown.
Graduates will be allowed two guests each.
“It was really important to the students to have an in-person commencement, so Colorado College has been working with the El Paso County Health Department on guidelines,” Weddell said.
The ceremony will look a little different this year, with pandemic restrictions in place, she said.
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El Paso County COVID-19 data trends showing promise
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) New data from the El Paso County Health Department shows promising signs in the fight against COVID-19.
Most notably, hospitalizations are trending down from record highs in November. The seven-day average daily admissions is currently 6 per day, which is less than half the average at the beginning of January and a fraction of numbers in November. I can t emphasize this enough. As the amount of virus in our community goes down, it s a relief. But we don t want people to start reducing their precautions. Now is the time where we can really push the virus down, Stephen Goodwin said, El Paso County Public Health Chief Data Scientific Strategist.