Four Iconic Denver High Schools Have COVID Outbreaks

Outbreaks at K-12 schools are on the upswing.

December 16, 2021

Image: Denver East High School is among the iconic educational institutions battling an outbreak right now.

Denver East High School is among the iconic educational institutions battling an outbreak right now. Google Maps

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The latest Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment outbreaks report on COVID-19 cases reveals spread at an increasing number of K-12 institutions, including four of Denver's most iconic high schools.

Outbreaks have been identified at East High School, North High School, George Washington High School and John F. Kennedy High School in Denver, as well as Arvada High School and Bear Creek High School in Jefferson County.

For the first year-plus 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 sixty new or tweaked entries on the CDPHE's latest survey, updated on December 15, is down from the 83 cited on December 8. Of the additions, 36 have experienced at least one prior outbreak.

Our recent post comparing COVID cases in Denver Public Schools to those in Douglas County showed that DPS has been doing a good job of minimizing infections among staff and students. The high-school outbreaks reflect a statewide upswing; the current CDPHE roster includes eighteen new outbreaks at K-12 schools, up from twelve on December 8. Fresh outbreaks have also struck six child-care centers.

But there's some good news regarding health-care centers. Even though it remains the category with the most outbreaks, the 22 flagged on December 15 constitute fewer than half of the 47 that popped up on December 8.

Other outbreak sites of note: a Larimer County Costco, a Weld County Walgreens, a veterinary clinic in Arapahoe County and a Durango Holiday Inn.

Here are the sixty new or tweaked active outbreaks identified by the CDPHE on December 15, along with the date when the outbreak was cited and the people impacted:

1. A Plus Learning Center, Child Care Center, Arapahoe County, 12/10/2021, 4 staff cases, 2 attendee cases
2. Advanced Regenerative Health, Healthcare, Outpatient, Arapahoe County, 12/8/2021, 5 staff cases
3. Arvada High School, School, K-12, Jefferson County,12/9/2021, 1 staff case, 16 attendee cases
4. Aspens at Fort Collins (23G501): November 2021, Healthcare, Assisted Living, Larimer County, 12/8/2021, 1 resident case, 1 staff case
5. Bear Creek High School: November 2021, School, K-12, Jefferson County, 11/16/2021, 4 staff cases, 28 attendee cases
6. Bookcliff Middle School, School, K-12, Mesa County, 12/13/2021, 1 staff case, 16 attendee cases
7. Breakthru Beverage, Food Distribution, Denver County, 12/13/2021, 31 staff cases
8. Broadview Animal Clinic, Veterinary Clinic, Arapahoe County, 12/14/2021, 6 staff cases
9. Brookdale Broadmoor (2305CK): December 2021, Healthcare, Assisted Living, El Paso County, 12/8/2021, 7 resident cases, 1 staff case
10. Brookdale Greenwood Village (0204W6): December 2021, Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, Arapahoe County, 12/14/2021, 1 resident case, 1 staff case
11. Brookdale Greenwood Village Assisted Living (2304MV): December 2021, Healthcare, Assisted Living, Arapahoe County, 12/13/2021, 2 resident cases, 3 staff cases
12. Centennial Middle School, School, K-12, Montrose County, 12/3/2021, 1 staff case, 35 attendee cases
13. Centennial Parks Hospital, Healthcare, Psychiatric Hospital, Boulder County, 12/8/2021, 3 resident cases, 7 staff cases
14. Centre Avenue Health and Rehab (02R209): December 2021, Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, Larimer County, 12/13/2021, 2 staff cases
15. Chateau at Sharmar Village (2306N1): November 2021, Healthcare, Assisted Living, Pueblo County, 12/7/2021, 5 resident cases, 1 staff case, 1 resident death
16. Cherry Creek Nursing Center (020408): December 2021, Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, Arapahoe County, 2 resident cases, 4 staff cases
17. Colorado Springs Transit Management Company, Inc.: November 2021, Municipal/Local Government, Transit, El Paso County, 12/14/2021, 6 staff cases
18. Columbine Middle School, School, K-12, Montrose County, 12/3/2021, 2 staff cases, 10 attendee cases
19. Costco Wholesale #1178: December 2021, Retailer, Larimer County, 12/10/2021, 9 staff cases
20. Cottonwood Elementary School, School, K-12, Montrose County, 12/3/2021, 1 staff case, 5 attendee cases
21. Crestmoor Health and Rehabilitation Center (020497): December 2021, Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, Denver County, 12/10/2021, 1 resident case, 2 staff cases
22. Cripple Creek Care Center (020581): November 2021, Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, Teller County, 12/7/2021, 1 resident case, 2 staff cases
23. Delta High School: November 2021, School, K-12, Delta County, 12/7/2021, 4 staff cases, 10 attendee cases
24. Denver East High School: December 2021, School, K-12, Denver County, 12/9/2021, 1 staff case, 9 attendee cases
25. Devonshire Acres Skilled Nursing (020193): December 2021, Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, Logan County, 12/8/2021, 2 staff cases
26. Fairmount Elementary School: November 2021, School, K-12, Jefferson County, 12/9/2021, 3 staff cases, 14 attendee cases
27. Fremont Correctional Facility: November 2021, State Prison, Fremont County, 11/29/2021, 83 resident cases
28. Garnet Mesa Elementary School: October 2021, School, Delta County, 12/7/2021, 5 staff cases, 14 attendee cases
29. George Washington High School, School, K-12, Denver County, 12/14/2021, 8 attendee cases
30. Holiday Inn Hotel and Suites — Durango, Hotel/Lodge/Resort, La Plata County, 12/14/2021, 6 staff cases
31. John F. Kennedy High School: December 2021, School, K-12, Denver County, 12/7/2021, 3 staff cases, 4 attendee cases
32. Johnson Elementary School — Montrose, School, K-12, Montrose County, 12/3/2021, 10 attendee cases
33. Julia Temple Healthcare Center (020418): December 2021, Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, Arapahoe County, 12/14/2021, 3 staff cases
34. Lightway at Sloans, Child Care Center, Jefferson County, 12/13/2021, 3 staff cases, 3 attendee cases
35. Linden Early Learning Center, Child Care Center, Denver County, 12/9/2021, 4 staff cases, 7 attendee cases
36. LONG Building Technologies, Construction Company/Contractor, Arapahoe County, 12/14/2021, 14 staff cases
37. Manorcare Health Services — Denver (020476): November 2021, Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, Denver County, 12/10/2021, 2 staff cases
38. Mantey Heights Rehabilitation and Care Center (021149): December 2021, Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, Mesa County, 12/13/2021, 1 resident case, 1 staff case
39. Marycrest Assisted Living (2304ST): December 2021, Healthcare, Assisted Living, Denver County, 12/8/2021, 1 resident case, 4 staff cases
40. Maximum Comfort Pool & Spa, Retailer, Eagle County, 11/30/2021, 8 staff cases
41. Merryhill Preschool — Aurora: December 2021, Child Care Center, Arapahoe County, 12/8/2021, 2 staff cases, 4 attendee cases
42. Mile Hi Children's Enrichment Center, Child Care Center, Jefferson County, 12/3/2021, 10 attendee cases
43. North High School: December 2021, School, K-12, Denver County, 12/9/2021, 7 attendee cases
44. Once Upon a Childcare — Vickers, Child Care Center, El Paso County, 12/9/2021, 5 attendee cases
45. Parker Performing Arts: August 2021, School, K-12, Douglas County, 9/1/2021, 39 attendee cases
46. Peakview Assisted Living and Memory Care (23F490): November 2021, Healthcare, Assisted Living, Arapahoe County, 12/13/2021, 31 resident cases, 6 staff cases
47. Rocky Mountain Assisted Living — Euclid (23O244), Healthcare, Assisted Living, Arapahoe County, 12/9/2021, 2 staff cases
48. RTD Elati Light Rail Maintenance Facility: August 2021, Public Transportation, Arapahoe County, 9/20/2021, 40 staff cases
49. Sierra Elementary School, School, K-12, Jefferson County, 12/13/2021, 1 staff case, 12 attendee cases
50. Southern Peaks Regional Treatment Center: October 2021, Healthcare, Group Home, Youth Behavioral Treatment Center, Fremont County, 9/20/2021, 9 staff cases, 10 attendee cases
51. Springfield Elementary School: November 2021, School, K-12, Baca County, 11/23/2021, 14 attendee cases
52. Swink Junior-Senior High School: November 2021, School, K-12, Otero County, 11/23/2021, 20 attendee cases
53. The Center at Lincoln (02S302): December 2021, Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, Douglas County, 12/8/2021, 13 resident cases, 4 staff cases
54. Uptown Health Care Center (020452): November 2021, Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, Denver County, 12/10/2021, 4 staff cases
55. Vestas Towers America Inc: April 2021, Non-Food Manufacturer/Warehouse, Steel Manufacturer, Pueblo County, 4/13/2021, 5 staff cases
56. Walgreens #9315, Retailer, Weld County, 11/14/2021, 5 staff cases
57. Walmart Distribution Center: October 2020, Distribution Center/Business, Larimer County, 11/2/2020, 163 staff cases
58. Washington County Nursing Home (020162): December 2021, Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, Washington County, 12/13/2021, 2 staff cases
59. Wheat Ridge High School: October 2021, School, K-12, Jefferson County, 12/10/2021, 2 staff cases, 4 attendee cases
60. Würth Timberline Fasteners Corporate Office: November 2021, Office/Indoor Workspace, Adams County, 12/14/2021, 8 staff 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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