This Metro College Has Seven New COVID Outbreaks

Four of the college's athletic teams are impacted.

February 17, 2022

Image: A look at the Colorado School of Mines campus.

A look at the Colorado School of Mines campus. Colorado School of Mines via YouTube

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The latest report on COVID-19 outbreaks from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment reveals a whopping seven at a single metro-area institution: the Colorado School of Mines.

The college requires all students to be vaccinated, as well as to wear masks "in classrooms, teaching labs and computer labs." But despite these policies, the state health department has confirmed outbreaks at three on-campus buildings and among members of four athletic teams.

During the first year of the pandemic, 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 department has been updating its outbreaks report every week since April 2020.

The overall number of new or tweaked entries in the CDPHE's February 16 outbreaks survey came in at 91, down from 102 on February 9 and fewer than half of the 211 on January 26. Of the most recent entries, 45, just shy of half, have experienced at least one prior outbreak. Currently, 1,364 outbreaks are under active investigation by the state, 22 less than last week's sum.

The largest category of fresh outbreaks is health-care facilities: thirty (one less than the February 9 count), including 22 that specialize in senior care. Following close behind are K-12 schools. The 27 that popped up on the most recent roster compare to 35 on February 9. Outbreaks at child-care centers dropped from nine to five over that same span.

But the Colorado School of Mines is another story. Outbreaks have been identified at three halls (Elm, Randall and Spruce), as well as the track-and-field team, the swimming team, the women's basketball team and the wrestling team. So far, the cumulative case count is 111.

Other outbreaks of note affect more major retailers — among them a Walmart, two Home Depots, a Costco and a Trader Joe's grocery store — and three additional municipal departments in the City of Fort Collins, bringing the current total there to six.

Here are the 91 new or tweaked active outbreaks identified by the CDPHE on February 16, along with the date when the outbreak was cited and the people impacted:

1. A Wildflower Assisted Living and Care Home — Princeton (230410), Healthcare, Assisted Living, Adams County, 2/10/2022, 5 resident cases, 6 staff cases
2. Ace Hardware Retail Support Center: December 2021, Distribution Center/Business, El Paso County, 1/25/2022, 26 staff cases
3. Appleton Elementary School: February 2022, School, K-12, Mesa County, 2/11/2022, 10 attendee cases
4. Aspen Gardens Assisted Living (23R503), Healthcare, Assisted Living, Montezuma County, 2/11/2022, 1 resident case, 2 staff cases
5. Assured Assisted Living 9 (23V725): January 2022, Healthcare, Assisted Living, Arapahoe County, 2/11/2022, 2 resident cases, 1 staff case
6. Baca Elementary School: January 2022, School, K-12, Pueblo County, 2/11/2022, 4 staff cases, 6 attendee cases
7. BeeHive Homes at the Cortez Homestead (23Z827): January 2022, Healthcare, Assisted Living, Montezuma County, 2/1/2022, 4 staff cases
8. Belmont Elementary School, School, K-12, Pueblo County, 2/11/2022, 5 staff cases, 8 attendee cases
9. Belmont Senior Care (230636): February 2022, Healthcare, Assisted Living, Pueblo County, 2/11/2022, 9 resident cases
10. Ben Franklin School of Innovation, School, K-12, Pueblo County, 2/11/2022, 9 staff cases, 4 attendee cases
11. Bessemer Elementary School, School, K-12, Pueblo County, 2/11/2022, 13 staff cases, 1 attendee case
12. Breckenridge Delivery, Office/Indoor Workspace, Broomfield County, 1/25/2022, 5 staff cases
13. Castle Peak Assisted Living (23Q262): February 2022, Healthcare, Assisted Living, Eagle County, 2/7/2022, 2 resident cases, 1 staff case
14. Cherry Creek Retirement Village Independent Living, Healthcare, Independent Living Facility, Arapahoe County, 2/10/2022, 46 resident cases, 15 staff cases
15. City of Fort Collins — Mason St, Municipal/Local Government, Larimer County, 2/8/2022, 14 staff cases
16. City of Fort Collins Neighborhood Services, Municipal/Local Government, Larimer County, 1/31/2022, 11 staff cases
17. City of Fort Collins Water Resources and Treatment, Municipal/Local Government, Larimer County, 2/7/2022, 5 staff cases
18. Clayton Group Home (05Y773), Healthcare, Group Home, Adams County, 2/11/2022, 2 staff cases
19. Clermont Assisted Living (23J795), Healthcare, Assisted Living, Arapahoe County, 2/11/2022, 9 resident cases, 4 staff cases
20. Clifton Elementary School, School, K-12, Mesa County, 2/11/2022, 9 attendee cases
21. Clinica Family Health — Lafayette, Healthcare, Outpatient Primary Care Office, Boulder County, 2/10/2022, 16 staff cases
22. Collbran Job Corps, Job Training Center, Mesa County, 2/9/2022, 6 staff cases, 1 attendee case
23. Colorado Correctional Center: January 2022, State Prison, Denver County, 1/21/2022, 51 resident cases, 6 staff cases
24. Colorado School of Mines — Elm Hall: January 2022, College/University, Jefferson County, 2/15/2022, 17 attendee cases
25. Colorado School of Mines — Randall Hall: January 2022, College/University, Jefferson County, 2/15/2022, 8 attendee cases
26. Colorado School of Mines — Spruce Hall: December 2021, College/University, Jefferson County, 2/15/2022, 45 attendee cases
27. Colorado School of Mines Athletics — Swimming Team, College/University, Jefferson County, 2/15/2022, 13 attendee cases
28. Colorado School of Mines Athletics — Track and Field Team, College/University, Jefferson County, 2/15/2022, 9 attendee cases
29. Colorado School of Mines Athletics — Women's Basketball Team: January 2022, College/University, Jefferson County, 2/15/2022, 12 attendee cases
30. Colorado School of Mines Athletics — Wrestling Team: December 2021, College/University, Jefferson County, 2/10/2022, 2 staff cases, 5 attendee cases
31. Colorado State Penitentiary: January 2022, State Prison, Fremont County, 1/5/2022, 198 resident cases, 28 staff cases
32. Columbian Elementary School: January 2022, School, K-12, Pueblo County, 2/11/2022, 6 staff cases, 6 attendee cases
33. Costco Wholesale #468, Retailer, Douglas County, 2/9/2022, 28 staff cases
34. Covenant Village Assisted Living (230432): January 2022, Healthcare, Assisted Living, Jefferson County, 1/20/2022, 14 resident cases, 6 staff cases
35. Creekside Gardens Assisted Living Facility (230320): January 2022, Healthcare, Assisted Living, Larimer County, 1/28/2022, 1 resident case, 2 staff cases
36. Crossroads at Northglenn (2304MZ): January 2022, Healthcare, Assisted Living, Adams County, 2/11/2022,4 resident cases, 4 staff cases
37. De Beque Elementary School, School, K-12, Mesa County, 2/2/2022, 2 staff cases, 3 attendee cases
38. Discovery Learning Center, Child Care Center, Routt County, 2/15/2022, 2 staff cases, 8 attendee cases
39. Dual Immersion Academy: January 2022, School, K-12, Mesa County, 2/9/2022, 6 attendee cases
40. Eagle Crest Assisted Living Community (23R741), Healthcare, Assisted Living, Rio Blanco County, 2/15/2022, 4 resident cases
41. Fountain International School, School, K-12, Pueblo County, 2/11/2022, 6 staff cases, 6 attendee cases
42. Harris Residence (05V733): January 2022, Healthcare, Group Home, Logan County, 1/18/2022, 2 resident cases, 3 staff cases
43. Haxtun Elementary School, School, K-12, Phillips County, 2/9/2022, 9 attendee cases
44. Home Daycare #1 — Peyton, Child Care Center, Home Daycare, El Paso County, 2/9/2022, 2 staff cases, 8 attendee cases
45. Ken Caryl Middle School: January 2022, School, Jefferson County, 2/11/2022, 9 staff cases, 32 attendee cases
46. Kullerstrand Elementary School, School, K-12, Jefferson County, 2/10/2022, 4 staff cases, 5 attendee cases
47. Legend of Colorado Springs (0309QO): January 2022, Healthcare, Assisted Living, El Paso County, 2/8/2022, 1 resident case, 1 staff case
48. Longmont Smart Home (05R712), Healthcare, Group Home, Boulder County, 1/27/2022, 3 resident cases, 2 staff cases
49. Loveland Preschool, Child Care Center, Larimer County, 2/13/2022, 1 staff case, 7 attendee cases
50. Martin House (050160), Healthcare, Group Home, Kit Carson County, 2/2/2022, 2 staff cases
51. Millbrook Homes (2304UX), Healthcare, Assisted Living, Secured Dementia, Arapahoe County, 2/10/2022, 1 resident case, 2 staff cases
52. Minnequa Elementary School, School, K-12, Pueblo County, 2/11/2022, 5 staff cases, 3 attendee cases
53. Monument Ridge Elementary School: February 2022, School, K-12, Mesa County, 2/11/2022, 8 attendee cases
54. Morgan County Detention Center: January 2022, Jail, Morgan County, 2/14/2022, 10 resident cases, 4 staff cases
55. Morton Elementary School, School, K-12, Pueblo County, 2/11/2022, 6 staff cases, 4 attendee cases
56. Mountain King Potatoes: February 2022, Food Warehouse, Rio Grande County, 2/15/2022, 5 staff cases
57. North Division Residential Center (050105), Healthcare, Group Home, Logan County, 1/10/2022, 1 resident case, 3 staff cases
58. North Fork Montessori School at Crawford, School, K-12, Crawford County, 5 staff cases, 9 attendee cases
59. North Range Behavioral Health Crisis Response Team, Healthcare, Alcohol/Drug Abuse Treatment (Outpatient), Weld County, 1/24/2022, 5 staff cases
60. Northpoint Recovery, Healthcare, Alcohol/Drug Abuse Treatment (Inpatient), Larimer County, 2/10/2022, 4 resident cases, 4 staff cases
61. Paragon Learning Center: January 2022, School, K-12, Pueblo County, 2/11/2022, 2 staff cases, 6 attendee cases
62. Platte Valley Youth Services Center: February 2022, Correctional, Weld County, 2/14/2022, 3 resident cases, 5 staff cases
63. Prairie View High School, School, K-12, Adams County, 2/15/2022, 6 staff cases
64. Pueblo Regent, Healthcare, Independent Living Facility, Pueblo County, 2/15/2022, 5 resident cases, 4 staff cases, 2 resident deaths
65. Residence at Grand Mesa (23R116): January 2022, Healthcare, Assisted Living, Mesa County, 1/21/2022, 10 resident cases, 10 staff cases
66. Rio Grande County Jail: February 2022, Jail, Rio Grande County, 2/7/2022, 4 resident cases, 1 staff case
67. Rocky Mountain Assisted Living — 44th Ave (23C959): January 2022, Healthcare, Assisted Living, Jefferson County, 1/28/2022, 2 resident cases, 3 staff cases
68. Roncalli Stem Academy: January 2022, School, K-12, Pueblo County, 2/11/2022, 7 staff cases, 7 attendee cases
69. Shalom Home Care LLC (230659), Healthcare, Assisted Living, Pueblo County, 2/11/2022, 2 staff cases
70. Sherman Early Childhood Center, Child Care Center, Morgan County, 2/9/2022, 1 staff case, 5 attendee cases
71. Soda Creek Elementary School, School, K-12, Routt County, 2/11/2022, 9 attendee cases
72. South Park Elementary School: January 2022, School, K-12, Pueblo County, 2/15/2022, 10 staff cases, 11 attendee cases
73. Sprawka Residential Center (050104), Healthcare, Group Home, Logan County, 1/10/2022, 8 resident cases, 11 staff cases
74. Steamboat Springs High School: January 2022, School, K-12, Routt County, 2/11/2022, 13 attendee cases
75. Steamboat Springs Middle School: January 2022, School, K-12, Routt County, 2/11/2022, 11 attendee cases
76. Sterling Middle School, School, K-12, Logan County, 2/9/2022, 2 staff cases, 5 attendee cases
77. Strive Vocational Services, Developmentally Disabled Vocational Training, Mesa County, 2/9/2022, 2 staff cases, 4 attendee cases
78. Tender Touch Animal Hospital: January 2022, Veterinary Clinic, Denver County, 2/10/2022, 9 staff cases
79. The Aspen Center for Child Development, Child Care Center, Boulder County, 2/11/2022, 5 staff cases, 6 attendee cases
80. The Courtyard of Loveland (230369): February 2022, Healthcare, Assisted Living, Larimer County, 2/1/2022, 6 resident cases, 2 staff cases
81. The Gardens Care Homes Camenisch Park (23N653): January 2022, Healthcare, Assisted Living, Adams County, 2/10/2022, 7 resident cases, 8 staff cases
82. The Home Depot #1512: January 2022, Retailer, Larimer County, 2/3/2022, 16 staff cases
83. The Home Depot #1515, Retailer, Weld County, 1/27/2022, 14 staff cases
84. Trader Joe's #300: December 2021, Grocery Store, Denver County, 2/10/2022, 36 staff cases
85. Van Arsdale Elementary School: January 2022, School, K-12, Jefferson County, 2/15/2022, 1 staff case, 4 attendee cases
86. Vestas Blades America — Windsor: January 2022, Non-Food Manufacturer/Warehouse, Weld County, 1/24/2022, 34 staff cases
87. Walmart #1008: December 2021, Retailer, Larimer County, 1/5/2022, 27 staff cases
88. Western Hills Health Care Center (020438): December 2021, Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, Jefferson County, 12/29/2021, 8 resident cases, 15 staff cases
89. Wilbur's Total Beverage, Retailer, Larimer County, 2/11/2022, 5 staff cases
90. Woodland Park Middle School: January 2022, School, K-12, Teller County, 2/10/2022, 7 attendee cases
91. Woodmen Hills Elementary School: February 2022, School, K-12, El Paso County, 2/16/2022, 5 attendee cases

Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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