Your Odds of Getting COVID-19 in Denver Have Gone Way Up

For months, we’ve regularly reported on the number of COVID-19 cases across the Mile High City as tracked by Denver Public Health – and the increase over the past month or so has definitely been the largest to date in most locations. Cases in many neighborhoods have doubled or even tripled, making it ever more difficult for the average resident to avoid coming down with the novel coronavirus.

DPH shares the data on its Denver COVID-19 Data Summary page, which is updated by 6:30 p.m. daily. As of late December 10, the agency calculates 41,624 COVID-19 cases and 592 deaths in the city.

Among the key statistics is the viral case rate per 1,000 individuals. According to Denver Public Health spokesperson Jennifer Fine, this figure is determined by “calculating the number of people infected with COVID-19 during a specific time frame relative to the total population of that geographic area. If you see a case rate of 200/100,000 thousand, that means that for every 100,000 people that live in that geographic area, 200 of them have COVID-19 during that specific time period. Some of the data we present is cumulative, so that means it is including all COVID-19 cases since the first one was reported in March. Other metrics are using specific time intervals like the last seven or fourteen days, so we can understand the current burden.”

The most recent case rate available focuses on the week of November 29 through December 5 – and by comparing it to information from the week of October 25-31, the focus of our previous roundup, we can see the impact of a disease surge that resulted in Denver being placed at Level Red (severe) on the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment‘s dial dashboard.

In late October, just two Denver neighborhoods registered zero COVID-19 cases. Now that’s down to one, Auraria, which maintained its infection-free status. Of the other 77 neighborhoods, new cases declined in only eight of them, generally by very small amounts – and the case rates in many of the remaining 69 climbed substantially. During the week of October 25-31, the highest case rate was 7.3, in Elyria Swansea; now it’s 20.2, in Civic Center. As of October, thirteen neighborhoods had a case rate of 5.0 or higher; now 22 neighborhoods do. And specific sections of the city have seen cases multiply in a big way.

Examples? Montclair went from 8 new cases to 16. South Park Hill jumped from 8 cases to 21. Hilltop increased from 12 to 28. North Capitol Hill rose from 10 to 31, and Cherry Creek from 13 to 45. Civic Center jumped from 16 to 57. And several places registered new infections in the triple digits during the seven-day period, including Central Park (formerly Stapleton), with 112; Westwood, with 123; Montbello, with 247; and Gateway/Green Valley Ranch, with 261.

Here are the stats for Denver neighborhoods from November 29 to December 5, along with comparisons to figures from October 25 to 31, listed in ascending order of case rates:

Auraria
Total Cases 0 (same on October 25-31)
Case Rate 0 (same on October 25-31)

Goldsmith
Total Cases 10 (9 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 1.5 (1.4 on October 25-31)

Washington Park
Total Cases 12 (8 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 1.6 (1.0 on October 25-31)

Skyland
Total Cases 6 (10 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 1.7 (2.8 on October 25-31)

Country Club
Total Cases 6 (7 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 1.8 (2.2 on October 25-31)

South Park Hill
Total Cases 21 (8 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 2.2 (0.8 on October 25-31)

Whittier
Total Cases 13 (10 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 2.4 (1.9 on October 25-31)

West Highland
Total Cases 26 (27 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 2.5 (2.6 on October 25-31)

Belcaro
Total Cases 13 (11 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 2.5 (2.1 on October 25-31)

Montclair
Total Cases 16 (8 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 2.5 (1.3 on October 25-31)

Jefferson Park
Total Cases 15 (13 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 2.5 (2.2 on October 25-31)

Rosedale
Total Cases 7 (9 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 2.5 (3.2 on October 25-31)

University Park
Total Cases 25 (20 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 2.6 (2.1 on October 25-31)

Wellshire
Total Cases 9 (< 5 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 2.6 (0.6 on October 25-31)

Sun Valley
Total Cases < 5 (0 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 2.7 (0 on October 25-31)

Hilltop
Total Cases 28 (12 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 2.7 (1.1 on October 25-31)

Congress Park
Total Cases 31 (24 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 2.8 (2.1 on October 25-31)

Virginia Village
Total Cases 42 (34 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 2.9 (2.4 on October 25-31)

City Park
Total Cases 11 (5 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 3.1 (1.4 on October 25-31)

Cheesman Park
Total Cases 29 (13 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 3.2 (1.4 on October 25-31)

Indian Creek
Total Cases 11 (8 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 3.2 (2.4 on October 25-31)

Washington Park West
Total Cases 25 (15 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 3.2 (1.9 on October 25-31)

University
Total Cases 32 (22 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 3.2 (2.2. on October 25-31)

Union Station
Total Cases 33 (20 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 3.3 (2.0 on October 25-31)

Speer
Total Cases 45 (28 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 3.4 (2.1 on October 25-31)

Cory-Merrill
Total Cases 15 (< 5 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 3.5 (0.7 on October 25-31)

East Colfax
Total Cases 29 (31 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 3.5 (2.8 on October 25-31)

CBD (Central Business District)
Total Cases 18 (< 5 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 3.6 (0.6 on October 25-31)

Sloan’s Lake
Total Cases 30 (13 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 3.6 (1.6 on October 25-31)

Berkeley
Total Cases 34 (15 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 3.6 (1.6 on October 25-31)

Sunnyside
Total Cases 41 (25 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 3.6 (2.2 on October 25-31)

Platt Park
Total Cases 24 (16 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 3.6 (2.4 on October 25-31)

Washington Virginia Vale
Total Cases 55 (36 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 3.7 (2.5 on October 25-31)

North Park Hill
Total Cases 38 (16 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 3.7 (1.6 on October 25-31)

North Capitol Hill
Total Cases 31 (10 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 3.7 (1.2 on October 25-31)

Hampden
Total Cases 74 (46 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 3.7 (2.3 on October 25-31)

Capitol Hill
Total Cases 65 (20 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 3.8 (1.2 on October 25-31)

City Park West
Total Cases 23 (9 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 3.8 (1.5 on October 25-31)

Baker
Total Cases 24 (12 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 3.8 (1.9 on October 25-31)

Northeast Park Hill
Total Cases 36 (21 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 3.9 (2.3 on October 25-31)

Lowry Field
Total Cases 36 (17 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 3.9 (1.9 on October 25-31)

Central Park (formerly Stapleton)
Total Cases 112 (64 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 3.9 (2.2. on October 25-31)

Windsor
Total Cases 58 (32 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 4.0 (2.2 on October 25-31)

Five Points
Total Cases 86 (52 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 4.0 (2.4 on October 25-31)

Hale
Total Cases 25 (13 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 4.1 (1.5 on October 25-31)

Villa Park
Total Cases 39 (53 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 4.1 (5.5 on October 25-31)

West Colfax
Total Cases 64 (36 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 4.3 (2.4 on October 25-31)

Regis
Total Cases 19 (11 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 4.3 (2.5 on October 25-31)

Overland
Total Cases 12 (8 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 4.3 (2.9 on October 25-31)

Valverde
Total Cases 19 (23 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 4.3 (5.2 on October 25-31)

Barnum
Total Cases 30 (35 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 4.4 (5.2 on October 25-31)

Marston
Total Cases 57 (32 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 4.5 (2.6 on October 25-31)

Highland
Total Cases 61 (29 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 4.5 (2.1 on October 25-31)

Hampden South
Total Cases 83 (31 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 4.6 (1.7 on October 25-31)

Kennedy
Total Cases 25 (5 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 4.7 (0.9 on October 25-31)

Southmoor Park
Total Cases 28 (15 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 4.9 (2.6 on October 25-31)

Cherry Creek
Total Cases 45 (13 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 5.5 (1.6 on October 25-31)

University Hills
Total Cases 34 (15 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 5.5 (2.4 on October 25-31)

Clayton
Total Cases 28 (17 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 5.6 (3.4 on October 25-31)

Ruby Hill
Total Cases 61 (50 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 5.6 (4.6 on October 25-31)

Bear Valley
Total Cases 56 (31 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 5.7 (3.2 on October 25-31)

Athmar Park
Total Cases 57 (62 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 5.8 (6.3 on October 25-31)

Gateway/Green Valley Ranch
Total Cases 261 (184 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 5.9 (4.2 on October 25-31)

Cole
Total Cases 32 (18 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 6.1 (3.4 on October 25-31)

Fort Logan
Total Cases 58 (42 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 6.2 (4.5 on October 25-31)

Harvey Park South
Total Cases 60 (41 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 6.5 (4.4 on October 25-31)

Harvey Park
Total Cases 82 (63 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 6.5 (5.0 on October 25-31)

Barnum West
Total Cases 39 (34 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 6.6 (5.8 on October 25-31)

Westwood
Total Cases 123 (127 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 6.8 (7.0 on October 25-31)

Globeville
Total Cases 30 (17 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 7.0 (4.0 on October 25-31)

Mar Lee
Total Cases 98 (62 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 7.1 (4.5 on October 25-31)

College View/South Platte
Total Cases 52 (43 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 7.1 (5.8 on October 25-31)

Montbello
Total Cases 247 (225 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 7.2 (6.6 on October 25-31)

Lincoln Park
Total Cases 26 (20 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 7.3 (5.6 on October 25-31)

Elyria-Swansea
Total Cases 53 (49 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 7.9 (7.3 on October 25-31)

Chaffee Park
Total Cases 37 (28 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 8.6 (6.5 on October 25-31)

DIA
Total Cases 15 (7 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 8.7 (4.1 on October 25-31)

Civic Center
Total Cases 57 (16 on October 25-31)
Case Rate 20.2 (5.7 on October 25-31)