New Colorado COVID-19 Outbreaks Nearly Triple in Three Weeks

Coloradans currently living their lives as if COVID-19 were a thing of the past may not be able to do so for much longer. Cases and hospitalizations related to the virus continue to edge higher, as they've done for the past month or so, and the number of fresh outbreaks of the disease identified by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment have nearly tripled in just three weeks.

During the week of April 27, the CDPHE listed twenty new or tweaked outbreaks. In its latest report, there were 57.

Here are the current COVID figures in major categories, as updated by the CDPHE after 4 p.m. May 11, along with information from our previous COVID data roundup, which drew from May 4 statistics:

1,395,208 cases (up 8,061 from May 4)
64 counties (unchanged from May 4)
62,260 hospitalized (up 174 from May 4)
12,503 deaths among cases (up 40 from May 4)
13,257 deaths due to COVID-19 (up 21 from May 4)
8,731 outbreaks (up 74 from April 27)

Four takeaways:

• New cases rose substantially, going from 6,255 for the week ending May 4 to 8,061 for the week ending May 11 — and daily case counts are on the same trajectory. The 1,331 case total reported on May 4 was the highest number since 1,460 on February 16, and several subsequent days also hit quadruple digits, including May 8 (1,228) and May 9 (1,223).

• The same trend can be seen in hospitalizations; there were 174 new admissions on May 11, compared to 116 on May 4. The average number of confirmed COVID patients for the week ending May 10 was 116; on April 12, the total was just 77. Note: 59 percent of those currently hospitalized have been vaccinated.

• Fatality figures are down, however. Deaths attributed to COVID-19 totaled 21 for the week ending May 11, less than half the 45 of the previous week.

• The state's positivity rate landed at 8.99 percent on May 11, and its 7.45 percent seven-day average represents a significant bump from the 6.09 percent from the week before. All of these metrics are above the 5 percent threshold the CDPHE prefers not to exceed.

Meanwhile, outbreaks are escalating. All 57 of the new items in the May 11 survey are from April or this month; most recent rosters had also included listings from earlier in 2022, during the height of the Omicron wave. Once again, health-care facilities dominate, and they've increased from 24 entries on May 4 to 41 on May 11.

Seven outbreaks at K-12 schools were added, along with two outbreaks associated with the Lamont School of Music at the University of Denver — sixteen attendee infections grouped under the heading "ensemble" and thirteen staff cases and three attendee cases labeled "vocal." One odd entry is described as "The Colorado Springs School Meeting at The Knights of Columbus Hall (PPLD)"; the acronym stands for Pikes Peak Library District, and thirteen people who attended this event came down with COVID-19.

Here are the 57 new or tweaked active outbreaks identified by the CDPHE on May 11, along with the date when the outbreak was cited and the people impacted:

1. Accel at Longmont (02V342): May 2022, Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, Boulder County, 5/2/2022, 2 resident cases, 2 staff cases
2. Apple Store — Park Meadows: April 2022, Retailer, Douglas County, 4/26/2022, 10 staff cases
3. Avamere Transitional Care and Rehabilitation (020399): May 2022, Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, Adams County, 4/25/2022, 3 staff cases
4. Balsam House (23N606): April 2022, Healthcare, Assisted Living, Boulder county, 4/29/2022, 3 staff cases
5. Bear Creek Senior Living (23054G): April 2022, Healthcare, Assisted Living, El Paso County, 4/19/2022, 3 resident cases, 2 staff cases
6. Berthoud Care and Rehabilitation (020388): May 2022, Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, Larimer County, 5/5/2022, 4 resident cases, 4 staff cases
7. Bethesda Gardens Monument (23U756): May 2022, Healthcare, Assisted Living, El Paso County, 5/2/2022, 10 resident cases, 8 staff cases
8. Bonaventure of Colorado Springs (23U243): May 2022, Healthcare, Assisted Living, El Paso County, 5/3/2022, 6 resident cases, 1 staff case
9. Bruce McCandless CO State Veterans Nursing Home (020636): May 2022, Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, Fremont County, 4/27/2022, 1 resident case, 2 staff cases
10. Chelsea Place (23N217): May 2022, Healthcare, Assisted Living, Arapahoe County, 5/3/2022, 1 resident case, 2 staff cases
11. Cherry Creek Nursing Center (020408): April 2022, Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, Arapahoe County, 4/26/2022, 4 staff cases
12. Denver Public Schools — Collegiate Prep Academy: May 2022, School, K-12, Denver County, 5/6/2022, 9 staff cases, 2 attendee cases
13. Denver School of the Arts (DSA): April 2022, School, K-12, Denver County, 5/5/2022, 2 staff cases, 17 attendee cases
14. Flatirons Health and Rehab (02H512): May 2022, Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, Boulder County, 5/10/2022, 1 resident case, 1 staff case
15. Forest Park Montessori School: April 2022, Child Care Center, Boulder County, 5/10/2022, 3 staff cases, 3 attendee cases
16. Fred Tjardes School of Innovation, School, K-12, Weld County, 5/11/2022, 1 staff case, 4 attendee cases
17. Golden Lodge Assisted Living LLC (23Q716): May 2022, Healthcare, Assisted Living, Jefferson County, 5/3/2022, 2 staff cases
18. Golden Pond Retirement Community (23P550): May 2022, Healthcare, Assisted Living, Jefferson County, 5/9/2022, 6 resident cases, 2 staff cases
19. Greenridge Place (23Y387): May 2022, Healthcare, Assisted Living, Jefferson County, 5/11/2022, 1 resident case, 1 staff case
20. Hallmark Nursing Center (020453): May 2022, Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, Denver County, 5/9/2022, 1 resident case, 2 staff cases
21. Harvard Square Retirement Community (230428): April 2022, Healthcare, Assisted Living, Denver County, 4/29/2022, 6 resident cases, 3 staff cases
22. Highline Place (23L199): May 2022, Healthcare, Assisted Living, Arapahoe County, 5/3/2022, 1 resident case, 4 staff cases
23. Isabella Bird Community School: May 2022, School, K-12, Denver County, 5/4/2022, 1 staff case, 5 attendee cases
24. Liberty Heights Skilled Nursing Center (020501): May 2022, Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, El Paso County, 5/4/2022, 2 staff cases
25. Life Care Center of Westminster (0204W2): May 2022, Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, Adams County, 5/6/2022, 2 staff cases
26. Louisville Montessori School, Child Care Center, Boulder County, 5/10/2022, 1 staff case, 4 attendee cases
27. Lowry Elementary School: April 2022, School, K-12, Denver County, 5/6/2022, 4 staff cases, 2 attendee cases
28. Melody Living of Colorado Springs (23P166): May 2022, Healthcare, Assisted Living, El Paso County, 5/6/2022, 1 resident case, 1 attendee case
29. My Second Home Bilingual Nursery & School — Waneka: April 2022, Child Care Center, Boulder County, 5/4/2022, 1 staff case, 7 attendee cases
30. Paddington Station Preschool: April 2022, Child Care Center, Denver County, 5/9/2022, 8 attendee cases
31. Parkmoor Village Healthcare Center (020542): May 2022, Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, El Paso County, 5/5/2022, 2 staff cases
32. Pikes Peak Center (02B942): May 2022, Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, El Paso County, 4/18/2022, 4 staff cases
33. Primrose Retirement Community of Pueblo (23Z405): May 2022, Healthcare, Assisted Living, Pueblo County, 5/6/2022, 2 resident cases, 1 staff case
34. Progressive Care Center (020658): April 2022, Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, Fremont County, 4/19/2022, 9 resident cases, 5 staff cases
35. River Valley Inn (02Z787): April 2022, Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, Rio Grande County, 4/27/2022, 15 resident cases, 7 staff cases
36. Rock Canyon Respiratory and Rehabilitation Center (020699): May 2022, Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, Pueblo County, 4/27/2022, 1 resident case, 1 staff case
37. Rosemark at Mayfair Park (23E998): May 2022, Healthcare, Assisted Living, Denver County, 5/3/2022, 2 staff cases
38. Serenity House Assisted Living V (23W747), Healthcare, Assisted Living, Arapahoe County, 4/29/2022, 3 resident cases, 1 staff case
39. Shalom Park (0204NU): May 2022, Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, Arapahoe County, 5/5/2022, 2 staff cases
40. Sierra Rehabilitation and Care Community (020423): May 2022, Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, Jefferson County, 5/2/2022, 1 resident case, 2 staff cases
41. St. Andrew Preschool: May 2022, Child Care Center, Douglas County, 5/11/2022, 3 staff cases, 8 attendee cases
42. Sterling Correctional Facility: May 2022, State Prison, Logan County, 5/6/2022, 3 resident cases, 2 staff cases
43. Sunrise Assisted Living at University Park (23R508): May 2022, Healthcare, Assisted Living, El Paso County, 5/6/2022, 11 resident cases, 4 staff cases
44. Sunrise at Cherry Creek (2304OU): April 2022, Healthcare, Assisted Living, Denver County, 5/5/2022, 7 staff cases
45. The Academy Boulder — University Hill (2303OR): April 2022, Healthcare, Assisted Living, Boulder County, 4/27/2022, 3 staff cases
46. The Carillon at Belleview Station (23N139): May 2022, Healthcare, Assisted Living, Denver County, 5/4/2022, 1 resident case, 2 staff cases
47. The Center at Lincoln (02S302): May 2022, Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, Douglas County, 5/4/2022, 1 resident case, 2 staff cases
48. The Colorado Springs School Meeting at The Knights of Columbus Hall (PPLD), School Meeting, El Paso County, 5/9/2022, 13 attendee cases
49. The Colorado Springs School: April 2022, School, K-12, El Paso County, 5/11/2022, 7 attendee cases
50. The Denver Waldorf School: May 2022, School, K-12, Denver County, 5/6/2022, 1 staff case, 6 attendee cases
51. The Myron Stratton Home (230560): May 2022, Healthcare, Assisted Living, El Paso County, 5/4/2022, 2 staff cases
52. The Suites at Someren Glen Care Center (020471): May 2022, Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, Arapahoe County, 4/29/2022, 2 staff cases
53. The Well House Arvada LLC (23Z778): May 2022, Healthcare, Assisted Living, Jefferson County, 5/9/2022, 1 resident case, 1 staff case
54. University of Denver — Lamont School of Music (ensemble), College/University, Denver County, 5/5/2022, 16 attendee cases
55. University of Denver — Lamont School of Music (vocal), College/University, Denver County, 4/6/2022, 13 staff cases, 3 attendee cases
56. Vi at Highlands Ranch: May 2022, Healthcare, Independent Living Facility, Douglas County, 5/9/2022, 11 resident cases
57. Winslow Court Retirement Community (230512): May 2022, Healthcare, Assisted Living, El Paso County, 5/2/2022, 1 resident case, 1 staff case