COVID-19 cases in Boulder County have risen drastically over the past two weeks, growing to the highest rates since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, according to a Boulder County Health news release. The surge is largely due to the highly transmissible omicron variant with The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that omicron now accounts for 92.9% of COVID-19 cases across the country.
Nearly 1 in 4 -or 24.5% - of individuals tested in Boulder County have been confirmed positive with COVID-19 as of Monday, Jan. 10, and positive cases are climbing in nearly every age group, especially those ages 23-34 - from Dec. 20 to Jan. 10, positive cases of COVID-19 increased by over 82% in people in that age group, according to the news release.
The increased number of people with COVID-19 has created a significant increase in demand for testing and added stress to the county's already heavily burdened hospitals and health care providers, the news release states. Data from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) shows that the number of people being hospitalized has also risen quickly.
In one week, beginning Dec. 26, the average number of patients admitted to hospitals in Colorado increased by 80%, the news release states.
"WIth the devastating Marshal fires, Boulder County residents are struggling to withstand a disaster within a disaster," said Camille Rodriguez, Boulder County Public Health Executive Director, in the news release. "The devastation caused by the fires, along with continued pandemic, highlight how important it is that we come together, show compassion and empathy ado do everything we can to keep our family, friends, and communities safe and healthy."
The health department is urging residents to get vaccinated, get a booster, wear a snug fitting high quality mask with multiple layers of non-woven material (such N95, KF94 or equivalent), and get tested.
The seven-day positivity rate for COVID-19 in Boulder County has surged to 24.5%, while the number of new daily cases over the past seven days reached 937.8, according to data posted Monday by BCPH.
The number of residents who posted positive for the virus is now at 45,621 while 332 have died from COVID-19, to date, the BCPH data states.
The positivity rate — which indicates how prevalent the virus in a community — has steadily climbed since October, when it was a 5.0% or slightly higher.
The omicron variant, which has spread across the United States, is now behind at least 16 cases in Boulder County, according to the CDPHEt. Denver County has reported 51 omicront variants among COVID-19 patients, Arapahoe County has 18, Eagle County has 17 and Adams County 12, according to the CDPHE.
Columbia University researchers suggest that COVID-19 numbers could peak at 2.5 million cases per week or go as high as 5.4 million, nationally, according to The New York Times.
Some researchers predict the omicron surge will also peak by mid-month, the Times states.
