Gov. Jared Polis on Wednesday urged Coloradans to take actions to limit the spread of the new coronavirus — including forgoing large parties or cookouts to celebrate the upcoming Fourth of July holiday — after several counties have reported spikes in cases of COVID-19.
Statewide, the number of new coronavirus cases increased last week for the first time since late April. However, Colorado has so far avoided the large surges in COVID-19 infections that are happening in some other states across the U.S.
“Right now, the trend is good in our state,” Polis said during his weekly COVID-19 briefing. “There’s a slight uptick. We’re watching it closely.”
State officials have said it’s unclear why there has been an increase in the number of people sick with COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus.
Local public health officials have reported clusters of coronavirus cases in Eagle and Boulder counties following social gatherings. In Boulder, the addition of more than 100 cases within a span of a week was largely attributed to college parties, however some cases also came from recent protests and out-of-state travel.
The recent outbreaks have mostly involved teenagers and younger adults, Polis said.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
