Gov. Polis Provides Update on COVID-19 Boosters & State Testing Capacity
DENVER - Today, Governor Jared Polis provided an update on Colorado’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, an overview of the state’s plan to administer booster shots, and detailed Colorado's COVID-19 testing efforts. Governor Polis was joined by Dr. Emily Travanty, PhD, Scientific Director, Laboratory Services Division, CDPHE.
“Colorado has one of the lowest COVID-19 case rates in the country, and our case numbers are moving in the right direction with a slight downward trend and that is a result of the work of Coloradans,” said Governor Polis. “This remains a pandemic of the unvaccinated and that threatens our freedom - your freedom to receive routine or lifesaving medical care like cancer treatment. Until more unvaccinated people do the right thing to protect themselves and our economy - Coloradans should wear masks, get the booster and get tested if you have symptoms.”
Governor Polis also provided an update on the wildfire situation near Silverthorne. As of now, the fire has grown to 60 acres and additional mandatory evacuations have been ordered. An evacuation shelter is in place at Summit Middle School. More information regarding the shelter can be found at summitcountyco.gov
Additionally, Colorado DFPC multi-mission Aircraft flew over the fire overnight, confirming that no homes have been destroyed. To receive alerts on the fire, individuals can sign up for county emergency alerts at dhsem.colorado.gov/
Governor Polis updated Coloradans on the rollout of Pfizer booster COVID-19 shots for those who are eligible and previously received a Pfizer shot. Per CDC recommendations, those aged 65 and older, and adults 50-64 years old with an underlying medical condition are eligible to receive a third dose. Additionally, the CDC has authorized the Pfizer booster for those aged 18 and older who live in long-term care facilities, those 18-49 with underlying medical conditions such as cancer, diabetes, or Down syndrome, among other conditions. Those aged 18 to 64 who work in high-risk settings including correctional facilities, health care, grocery stores, among other settings, are also eligible for a Pfizer booster.
Overall, Coloradans who were vaccinated as part of Phase 1B and earlier with the Pfizer shot are eligible for their Pfizer booster, which is still free and requires no ID or insurance to receive. Governor Polis continues to encourage the CDC to authorize a booster shot for all Coloradans who have already received a shot and to approve both a Moderna and Johnson & Johnson booster shot.
Dr. Emily Travanty, PhD, Scientific Director, Laboratory Services Division, CDPHE, provided an overview of Colorado’s nation-leading COVID-19 testing program. Colorado’s state laboratory has significantly scaled its capacity to process COVID tests, with an average processing capacity of 39,000 tests per day, up from 160 tests per day at the beginning of the pandemic. Colorado can offer free testing to anyone at over 110 testing sites across the state. On average, Colorado is averaging 39,415 tests per day across these sites.
“Testing overall is an important tool. We are proud to offer free community testing, testing in schools, and at-home rapid testing to Coloradans. Each program adds a layer of protection in our communities to identify cases quickly and stop them from spreading,” said Dr. Travanty. “We thank the schools who have signed up and are actively testing students and staff, and we encourage even more schools, parents and districts to sign up for this free program. At home testing demand currently exceeds supply and school testing has more supply than demand. We want to encourage people to access community testing and not wait for those at home tests.”
Governor Polis continued to urge Coloradans who are experiencing symptoms to visit a free, community testing site. Locations can be found at: covid19.colorado.gov/testing.
Per Governor Polis’ urging, the State Board of Health requires the vaccine for Colorado health care workers to protect the state’s most vulnerable populations receiving care in health care facilities. As of today, more than 1,100 health care workers are vaccinated. Health care workers that fall under the mandate have until the end of October to become fully vaccinated.
View today’s press conference.