Graphic by Mairead Brogan (made with Canva)
Boulder County’s public health department announced that a rise in reported COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations has increased community transmission from medium to high levels.
The announcement, which was published on the county’s website on the evening of Thursday, Dec. 1, comes in accordance with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s(CDC) guidelines surrounding community transmission.
The CDC’s data shows about 130 out of 100,000 people have COVID-19 in the county, with about 5% of hospital beds dedicated to treating patients who are confirmed to have COVID-19 in the last seven days.
According to the data, 25 out of 100,000 people have reported contracting COVID-19 in the past week.
In the department’s statement, Boulder County Public Health’s (BCPH) communicable disease control manager, Carol Helwig, said hospitals in the area are already strained due to cases of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in the community.
“We can all take steps to protect the people we care about, especially our loved ones and community members who are older or immune-compromised,” the statement read.
Helwig also said the department’s concerns are heightened as Boulder County approaches flu season.
The CDC recommends residents of counties at high levels of community transmission wear a mask indoors when in public, stay up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines and get tested if they develop symptoms of the virus.
Residents can find information about COVID-19 vaccines through the county’s website.
The University of Colorado Boulder does not have a mask mandate on campus, but does require students, faculty and staff have a COVID-19 vaccine and one booster shot.
Contact CU Independent Editor-in-Chief Henry Larson at henry.larson@colorado.edu.
