The COVID-19 pandemic reached Colorado on March 5, 2020, when the state's first two cases were confirmed. Many of the early COVID-19 cases in Colorado occurred in mountain resort towns such as Crested Butte, Aspen, and Vail, apparently brought in, and sometimes taken home, by international ski tourists.
In late 2020 a COVID-19 surge began in Colorado and most other mountain and Midwestern states, peaking in November/December. November 13's 6,437 COVID-19 cases and December 9's 267 COVID-related deaths set new single day records for Colorado. On June 29, 2021 Colorado public health authorities (CDPHE) reported 343 COVID-19 cases, increasing the state's cumulative total of new cases since the start of the pandemic to 557,347. Colorado's death toll is 6,788, with 12 new deaths reported over the past 24 hours. As of June 29, 9.67% of Colorado residents have been positively diagnosed with COVID-19. The 7-day moving average of new COVID-19 cases in Colorado is 316 cases per day. Despite a rise in spring 2021, there has been a general downward trend in the number of new COVID-19 cases since late November, when the 7 day moving average hit 5,064 on November 21, 2020.
Governor Jared Polis issued a statewide mask mandate in mid-July to avoid the sharp surge of COVID-19 cases and deaths then observed in Arizona, Texas, Florida, Georgia and other states where mask wearing was optional. A CDPHE web page explains the mask mandate and the science supporting the use of masks to reduce spread of respiratory diseases like COVID-19. Ten months later, Colorado's per capita COVID-19 death rate is less than half that of South Dakota, whose governor, Kristi Noem, most notably refused to issue a mask mandate despite a severe surge in cases in autumn 2020.
The return of college students to the University of Colorado Boulder campus quickly resulted in a dramatic spike in COVID-19 cases. The average two week case rate among 18-22 year olds in Boulder County rose from 200 cases in early September to 3,780 cases by the end of the month. The spike was limited to this narrow age group; the new case rate among all other age groups remained steady and low. The Boulder County Department of Public Health advised University of Colorado students to quarantine at home until October 5. The quarantine order proved effective, and by mid October the two week case rate among all age groups in Boulder County had dropped to 250 or lower.
In Colorado, major COVID-19 outbreaks occurred in meatpacking plants in Weld and Morgan Counties, prisons in Washington and Crowley Counties, and in agricultural facilities in the San Luis Valley such as a mushroom "factory" near Alamosa and a potato packing shed near Center. About half of COVID-19 deaths in Colorado have been associated with nursing homes.
As of June 29, 2021 Colorado had administered 6,177,682 COVID-19 vaccine doses, 7% more than the state's entire adult population. Since two doses are required for both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, the total number considered fully vaccinated is about 3 million residents, representing over 50 percent of the state's adult population.
Timeline
March 2020 On March 5, 2020 public health officials reported the first two cases of coronavirus in the state. The first known case was a man in his 30s visiting Summit County who had traveled to Italy in February with a companion who later tested positive for the virus. The second case was an elderly woman in Douglas County who had traveled on an international cruise. Both cases were considered presumptive positives; they had been tested by the state but had not been sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) for verification.
On March 6, with six new cases of coronavirus, the case count climbed to eight, seven of whom had traveled abroad recently.
On March 10, Governor Jared Polis declared a state of emergency. Polis also announced 17 total presumptive positive cases in the state. The state announced a drive-up testing facility for patients with a doctor's note in Denver's Lowry neighborhood, at no charge to the patients.
On March 11, The University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder) cancelled the 72nd annual Conference on World Affairs. The Nederland Town Board of Trustees cancelled the annual Frozen Dead Guy Days, following a Boulder County Public Health recommendation. The event was scheduled for the weekend of March 13.
On March 12, a Post Malone concert at Denver's Pepsi Center proceeded as scheduled, drawing a sellout-crowd of 20,000, likely the largest enclosed gathering in the U.S. before widespread lockdowns.
On March 12, a CU Boulder employee received a presumptive positive test for COVID-19. The employee worked on March 9 from 8 a.m. to noon in limited areas of the Center for Community dining center. Despite Boulder County health's recommendations, the annual May Bolder Boulder race and the Boulder Creek Festival were still scheduled. Many major school districts, including Denver Public Schools, Jefferson County Public Schools and Cherry Creek Public Schools, announced closures lasting at least two weeks. Due to the current strain on medical facilities in mountain communities, Governor Jared Polis discouraged mountain travel for the elderly.
On March 13, Colorado reported its first COVID-19-related death: an 80-year-old woman with underlying health issues from El Paso County. To offset the loss of quarantined medical personnel, Governor Jared Polis asked former doctors and nurses to rejoin the stressed medical workforce. Due to low temperatures, the Lowry drive-up testing service did not operate. The state planned to move the drive-up testing to the Denver Coliseum, starting on March 14, subject to weather. The testing at the Coliseum would service a maximum of 150 patients. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) also planned to move the drive-up service to strategic locations as warranted. In Aspen, 10 Australian ski vacationers were confirmed with the virus, with three others refusing testing. The three Australians who refused testing were quarantined for two weeks. Michael Larson, of Crested Butte, in Gunnison County, owner of Mikey's Pizza died from COVID-19, on March 13, 2020. His test for the coronavirus was done post-mortem, and received back on March 23, making his death the first in Gunnison County, and also one of the earliest in Colorado.
On March 14, the state legislature went into recess for two weeks. Governor Jared Polis issued an executive order to close downhill ski areas for a week, doing so "with a profound sense of pain and grim responsibility." Some ski areas had already planned to close on March 15.
On March 16, Denver Mayor Hancock ordered all bars and restaurants to close by 8 a.m. on March 17 (except for food delivery and pickup) and banned gatherings of more than 50 people. Governor Jared Polis expanded the closures by ordering a state-wide closure of dine-in services, gyms, casinos, and theaters.
On March 18, Governor Jared Polis closed schools until April 17 and banned gatherings of more than 10 people for the following 30 days. Polis also ordered ski resorts to remain closed until April 6. The governor also expressed frustration with nonchalance regarding social distancing and announced the creation of a fund to aid Coloradans affected by COVID-19. San Miguel County became the first county in the nation to plan to test all of its residents. It also ordered residents to "shelter-in-place." Gun sales skyrocket in Colorado, along with toilet paper, and hand sanitizer.
On March 19, Colorado reported two more COVID-19-related deaths, one of which was a man related to Colorado's first death. Governor Jared Polis extended the closure of bars, restaurants, theaters, gymnasiums and casinos until April 30 and suspended all nonessential medical procedures. The governor also ordered the closure of "nonessential" businesses until April 30, which include nail salons, spas, and tattoo parlors.
On March 21, Rocky Mountain National Park closed after the mayor of Estes Park cited concerns about the novel coronavirus.
On March 23, Aytu BioScience, a pharmaceutical company in Colorado, announced that it developed a blood test that will deliver results in two to ten minutes at the point of care for antibodies for the COVID-19 virus. The FDA has now approved the test for distribution. Denver Mayor Hancock announced a "stay at home" order for Denver county. This was to go into effect on Tuesday March 24 at 5pm.
On March 24, thirteen Colorado counties and multiple cities had announced some form of the stay-at-home order, including Adams County, Arapahoe County, Archuleta County, Boulder County, Broomfield County, Denver County, Douglas County, Eagle County, Grand County, Jefferson County, La Plata County, Pitkin County, and San Miguel County.
On March 25, Governor Jared Polis put the state of Colorado in complete lock-down, with a stay-at-home order. This started on Thursday March 26 at 6:00 a.m., and was scheduled to last through April 11. Mesa Verde National Park Closed.
On March 26 Mike Willis, Colorado's director of emergency management, had a new coronavirus testing program, after receiving 5,000 test kits and expecting another 2,500. New locations will be set up to test the first responders and health workers. Colorado Parks and Wildlife will be closing all facilities, including camping at Colorado's state parks and State Wildlife Areas until further notice.
On March 27 Governor Jared Polis said that he is working to add 5,000 ICU beds to Colorado's capacity by the end of the summer and is in conversations to bring more ventilators to the state to treat sick COVID-19 patients. The 8pm Denver Howl is started by folks in a neighborhood near the now closed Denver Botanic Gardens and Denver Zoo.
On March 28, Governor Jared Polis announced that the White House had approved his request to declare a major disaster for Colorado. The status means the state is eligible to receive additional federal resources and funding to help address the pandemic. The New York Post named Gunnison County, at 454.20 per 100,000 people and Eagle County at 331.74 per 100,000 as being two of the top four counties leading the nation in confirmed cases outside of New York and Louisiana. The other two counties are Blaine County, Idaho and Summit County, Utah. They state that this will no doubt overwhelm local hospitals. Andy Larson of the Salt Lake Tribune did some math based on factual reporting, and put Gunnison County, Colorado third in the country for cases per capita. He listed Eagle County as eighth.
On March 29, CDOT, Colorado Department of Transportation, suspended the Bustang and Outrider through at least April 11.
On March 31, Gunnison County announced they will begin working with a company called Biobot Analytics, to test fecal samples from the sewer system, to track coronavirus.