Gov. Jared Polis on Thursday cautioned that Colorado could see the number of new coronavirus cases — which so far remain relatively low — increase significantly as is happening in neighboring states.
Polis’ remarks, which were made during one of his regular briefings on the outbreak, come as COVID-19 cases in Boulder County have surged in the past week, with more than 100 residents testing positive for the novel coronavirus following recent college parties, protests and out-of-state travel.
The governor repeatedly urged Coloradans to continue to follow public health guidelines, such as wearing a mask and social distancing in public, citing the need for “personal responsibility” as the state moves to its next phase of reopening, which could soon allow larger events.
“I’m worried the virus can break through here in Colorado because it has in other states,” Polis said. “All that we can do to contain it is make sure that we don’t provide the social environment in which it thrives. It’s simply a function of behavior.”
COVID-19 cases have surged in several Western and Southern states in recent weeks, but they have remained fairly low in Colorado. On Thursday, state health officials recorded 228 new cases of the coronavirus, bringing the statewide total to 29,901.
Fifteen more people are confirmed to have died from COVID-19, bringing the total number of deaths to 1,417.
“This progress is only as good as the will of the people of Colorado,” Polis said, adding “We’re seeing a lot of cause for concern in neighboring states.”
Hospitalizations, which have remained flat over the past week, dropped slightly. There were 151 people in the hospital for the disease, down from 164 individuals the day before, according to the Colorado Hospital Association.
Symptoms of COVID-19 — including fever, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, loss of taste and smell, and nausea — can appear between two and 14 days after exposure, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Public health officials recommend people wear masks to cover their mouth and nose and stay at least 6 feet from others. People also should frequently wash their hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds to limit transmission of the disease, according to the state health department.
Since the start of the pandemic in March, 5,308 people have been hospitalized with COVID-19 and 1,638 people have died with the virus, but it hasn’t been confirmed as the cause of death.
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