Cases of COVID-19 infection in Boulder County are the highest recorded since the beginning of the pandemic, mirroring a troubling trend across the country.
Wednesday’s total of 535 new COVID-19 cases was the largest single day total of new cases, since Tuesday’s record-shattering total of 436, according to Boulder County Public Health. .
Case numbers are also continuing to rise in the county, likely due to the omicron variant, Shawn Hollister, BCPH spokesman, said via email. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, estimates omicron variants now account for 73% of COVID-19 cases across the United States, Hollister said.
Nationally, new cases of COVID-19 have soared to their highest level on record at over 265,000 per day on average, a surge driven largely by the highly contagious omicron variant, according to the Associated Press.
Omicron now accounts for about 91% of COVID-19 test samples sequenced in the state, according to the Denver Post. Omicron was found in just 0.1% of samples with genetic sequencing during the week of Nov. 28, the Post states.
The latest data from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment states that 10 new cases of omicron have been found in Boulder County, bringing the county total to 15.
Omicron spreads more easily than the previously dominant delta variant and is more likely to cause a breakthrough infection even for those who have been vaccinated or reinfected with the virus, the Post states.
However, people with a booster shot are expected to have less-severe symptoms if infected by omicron.
Hollister said getting vaccinated, including a booster, is the best way to protect yourself from serious illness and hospitalization from COVID-19. A third dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine offers significant protection against omicron, he said.
The current Boulder County Public Health Order remains in effect, including the requirement for everyone ages 2 and older to wear a mask while in a public indoor space, Hollister said.
People should also wear a well-fitted surgical mask, KN95, or the equivalent, he added. “Although a multi-layered cloth mask meets the order’s requirements, snug-fitting KN95 and surgical masks provide better protection,” he said. “Gaiters, balaclavas, scarves, face shields and any single-layer cover do not meet the order’s requirements.”
