Colorado Places With the Most Repeat COVID Outbreaks

At this point in the fight against COVID-19, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has identified multiple outbreaks at dozens upon dozens of sites. While most of them have landed on the outbreaks list two or three times, some have been the setting for a half-dozen or more outbreaks — so many that they've been under investigation by state health department personnel for many of the twenty months since April 2020, when the department started releasing weekly stats.

These are among the revelations found in the CDPHE's latest outbreaks report, updated on December 1.

Prior to June 1, state health officials declared an outbreak if two or more COVID-19 cases among residents, staffers, attendees and others were tied to a particular setting within a fourteen-day period. Now this standard only applies to health-care or correctional facilities. An outbreak anywhere else requires at least five confirmed or probable cases over two weeks.

The 58 new or tweaked entries on the CDPHE's latest survey is well below the 113 added on November 24, the focus of our previous outbreaks post. But it's too soon to celebrate this achievement. Because of the long Thanksgiving weekend, most of the new entries were registered on just three days, November 29-30 and December 1. A lag in holiday reporting could also account for the slight decrease in outbreaks under active investigation by the agency: 767 on December 1, down from 770 on November 24.

A total of 23 health-care facilities were named outbreaks on December 1, compared to 35 on November 24. Twenty of these specialize in senior care, including Casey's Pond Senior Living LTC in Steamboat Springs, whose latest outbreak marks its fifth such designation; its four previous outbreaks are among the 6,159 that the CDPHE considers resolved. Avamere Transitional Care and Rehabilitation in Adams County also has an active outbreak; five earlier outbreaks are now resolved. Adams County's The Center at Northridge, Thornton's Alpine Living Center, El Paso County's Cheyenne Mountain Center and Pikes Peak Center, and Arapahoe County's Julia Temple Healthcare Center have all had six outbreaks, all resolved. Meanwhile, the Colorado State Veterans Home at Fitzsimons and Keystone Place at Legacy Ridge, both in Adams County, each have registered active outbreaks, as well as six considered resolved.

Orchard Park Health Care Center in Arapahoe County has a new outbreak in addition to six resolved, for a total of seven. A look through its record shows what a toll this disease has taken. Orchard Park's first and most serious outbreak began on April 11, 2020, and wasn't resolved until June 26 of that year, after 83 resident cases, 69 staff cases and five resident deaths. Its second outbreak began on June 15, 2020, and was resolved a few weeks later on July 5, after two resident cases and one staff case. The third outbreak began on October 27, 2020, and was resolved on November 19 of that year after three resident cases and ten staff cases. The fourth outbreak began on January 4, 2021, and was resolved on February 18 after three resident cases and seven staff cases. The fifth outbreak began on May 10 and was resolved on May 20 after two staff cases. The sixth outbreak began on June 15 and was resolved on July 5 after two resident cases and one staff case. And the seventh outbreak began on November 19, with infections to date counted at one resident and two staffers.

Other new or tweaked outbreaks on the December 1 list include eleven at K-12 schools, about a quarter of the 41 on November 24. This number doesn't count outbreaks at six child-care centers (there were eight cited on November 24) or a dorm at Colorado State University. There's also a new outbreak among members of the men's lacrosse team at Colorado Mesa University.

Outbreaks have also been identified at an Amazon distribution center in Larimer County, a saloon in Summit County, a Safeway in Alamosa County, a car dealership in Weld County and the Huerfano County Sheriff's Office.

Here are the 58 new or tweaked active outbreaks identified by the CDPHE in its December 1 report, along with the date when the outbreak was cited and the people impacted:

1. Aerospace COS-2 Construction Site, Construction Site, El Paso County, 11/17/2021, 6 staff cases
2. Amazon Distribution Center DDE8, Distribution Center/Business, Larimer County, 11/24/2021, 6 staff cases
3. Aspen Miracle Center, Healthcare, Alcohol/Drug Abuse Treatment (Inpatient), Adams County, 11/24/2021, 5 resident cases, 3 staff cases
4. Assisted Living of Aurora (23D453): November 2021, Healthcare, Assisted Living, Arapahoe County, 11/24/2021, 6 resident cases, 2 staff cases
5. Balfour Central Park (23H949): November 2021, Healthcare, Assisted Living, Denver County, 11/24/2021, 4 staff cases
6. Bear Creek Center (020435): November 2021, Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, Jefferson County, 11/15/2021, 2 staff cases
7. Briar Rose Chophouse and Saloon: November 2021, Restaurant, Sit Down, Summit County, 11/29/2021, 5 staff cases
8. Broadview Health and Rehabilitation Center LLC (020321): November 2021, Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, Weld County, 1 resident case, 1 staff case
9. Broomfield Skilled Nursing & Rehab Center (02R989): November 2021, Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, Broomfield County, 11/29/2021, 2 staff cases
10. Brush Creek Elementary School: November 2021, School, K-12, Eagle County, 11/29/2021, 4 staff cases, 12 attendee cases
11. Buena Vista Middle School, School, K-12, Chaffee County, 11/29/2021, 2 staff cases, 11 attendee cases
12. Casey's Pond Senior Living LTC (020803): November 2021, Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, Routt County, 11/23/2021, 1 resident case, 2 staff cases
13. Colorado Mesa University — Men's Lacrosse Team, College/University, Mesa County, 11/29/2021, 5 attendee cases
14. Colorado Springs Public Defender's Office, Municipal/Local Government Law Office, El Paso County, 11/15/2021, 14 staff cases
15. Colorado State University — Newsom Hall, School/College Dorm, Larimer County, 11/3/2021, 8 attendee cases
16. Denver Women's Correctional Facility: November 2021, State Prison, Denver County, 11/29/2021, 2 resident cases, 1 staff case
17. Divine Redeemer Catholic School, School, K-12, El Paso County, 11/23/2021, 3 staff cases, 3 attendee cases
18. Dynamic Dimensions Inc. — Marion House: November 2021, Healthcare, Group Home, Kit Carson County, 11/15/2021, 2 staff cases
19. Eagle Valley Elementary School, School, K-12, Eagle County, 11/30/2021, 8 attendee cases
20. Eaton Senior Communities, Healthcare, Independent Living Facility, Jefferson County, 11/29/2021, 9 resident cases, 1 staff case
21. Equipment Share, Construction Company/Contractor, Arapahoe County, 11/30/2021, 5 staff cases
22. Family Tree GOALS, Homeless Shelter, Arapahoe County, 11/30/2021, 10 resident cases, 1 staff case
23. Frasier Meadows Health Care Center (020301), Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, Boulder County, 12/1/2021, 5 staff cases
24. Garfield RE-2 Transportation Dept, School Administration, Bus Depot, Garfield County, 11/30/2021, 6 staff cases
25. Health Center at Franklin Park (020439): November 2021, Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, Denver County, 11/22/2021, 1 resident case, 3 staff cases
26. Home Daycare — Breckenridge, Child Care Center, Summit County, 11/24/2021, 2 staff cases, 4 attendee cases
27. Horizons Care Center (021111): November 2021, Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, Delta County, 11/19/2021, 2 staff cases
28. Huerfano County Sheriff's Office: November 2021, Law Enforcement, Huerfano County, 11/24/2021, 7 staff cases
29. IMA Corp., Office/Indoor Workspace, Denver County, 11/29/20221, 6 staff cases
30. Life Care Center of Pueblo (020641): November 2021, Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, Pueblo County, 11/30/2021, 1 resident case, 1 staff case
31. MacKenzie Place Fort Collins (23Z789): November 2021, Healthcare, Assisted Living, Larimer County, 11/19/2021, 3 staff cases
32. McGraw Elementary School, School, K-12, Larimer County, 11/22/2021, 1 staff case, 19 attendee cases
33. Monte Vista Estates (021023): November 2021, Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, Rio Grande County, 11/29/2021, 2 resident cases, 2 staff cases
34. Mountaintop Childcare Inc, Child Care Center, Larimer County, 11/22/2021, 5 attendee cases
35. Parker Senior Living by MorningStar (23X291): November 2021, Healthcare, Assisted Living, Douglas County, 11/29/2021, 2 resident cases, 3 staff cases
36. Porter Place (2304E7): November 2021, Healthcare, Assisted Living, Denver County, 11/24/2021, 2 staff cases
37. Purple Moon Early Learning Center, Child Care Center, Adams County, 12/1/2021, 4 staff cases, 4 attendee cases
38. Radial, Inc.: November 2021, Office/Indoor Workspace, Call Center, Pueblo County, 11/23/2021, 9 staff cases, 1 staff death
39. Rising Star Early Learning Center: November 2021, Child Care Center, Arapahoe County, 11/29/2021, 3 staff cases, 2 attendee cases
40. Riverdale Elementary School, School, K-12, Adams County, 11/30/2021, 5 attendee cases
41. Safeway #1681: October 2021, Grocery Store, Alamosa County, 10/29/2021, 7 staff cases
42. Saints Peter and Paul Catholic School: November 2021, School, K-12, Jefferson County, 11/23/2021, 2 staff cases, 8 attendee cases
43. Sierra Rehabilitation and Care Community (020423): November 2021, Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, Jefferson County, 11/18/2021, 1 resident case, 1 staff case
44. Southeastern Developmental Services — Oak St Home, Healthcare, Group Home, Prowers County, 11/30/2021, 3 staff cases
45. Sprouts Farmers Market — E Lincoln Ave # 330, Grocery Store, Larimer County, 11/24/2021, 6 staff cases
46. Steamboat Springs High School: November 2021, School, K-12, Routt County, 11/30/2021, 8 attendee cases
47. Stone Creek of Flying Horse (23P651), Healthcare, Assisted Living, El Paso County, 11/26/2021, 4 resident cases, 1 staff case
48. The Academy of Charter Schools: November 2021, School, K-12, Adams County, 11/29/2021, 5 attendee cases
49. The Denver Waldorf School, School, K-12, Denver County, 11/29/2021, 1 staff case, 8 attendee cases
50. The Gardens Skilled Nursing and Rehab Center of Colorado Springs (020533): November 2021, Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, El Paso County, 11/24/2021, 4 resident cases
51. The Goddard School of Erie: November 2021, Child Care Center, Weld County, 11/17/2021, 1 staff case, 4 attendee cases
52. The Joshua School: November 2021, School, K-12, Arapahoe County, 11/29/2021, 4 staff cases, 1 attendee case
53. The Legacy at Sterling (23P250): November 2021, Healthcare, Assisted Living, Logan County, 11/30/2021, 2 staff cases
54. The Sunshine House of Loveland at Centerra, Child Care Center, Larimer County, 11/23/2021, 2 staff cases, 9 attendee cases
55. VCA Alameda East Veterinary Hospital: November 2021, Veterinary Clinic, Denver County, 11/29/2021, 5 staff cases
56. Vista Grande Inn (021213): November 2021, Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, Montezuma County, 11/21/2021, 5 staff cases
57. Western Paper Distributors, Distribution Center/Business, Denver County, 11/24/2021, 6 staff cases
58. Windish RV — Longmont, Auto Dealership, Weld County, 11/24/2021, 7 staff cases