Headlines November 19, 2020

Boulder County set a single-day record Wednesday for COVID-19 hospitalizations. The county reported 98 people are in hospital for the virus. Over the past two weeks, the county reported 795 new cases per 100,000 residents—that’s by far the highest levels of the pandemic.

Stricter regulations go into effect Friday for 15 counties, including Boulder and all other metro Denver counties. The new rules include a ban on personal gatherings, no indoor dining at restaurants and very limited capacity at offices and gyms.

COVID-19 on the Rise Again in Colorado Nursing Homes

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment said that 57 nursing homes were experiencing outbreaks of the novel coronavirus, as were 58 assisted living facilities.

Nursing home residents made up for a disproportionate share of deaths when the virus first arrived in the spring in Colorado, mainly because the odds of dying from the virus increase with age.

Colorado State epidemiologist Rachel Herlihy said that with the virus spreading in all age groups, it’s primarily facility staff that have been exposed on the outside and unknowingly bringing it into the long-term facilities. Because of the infection being asymptomatic to some, the staff don’t develop the symptoms which are signs for them to stay home.

Colorado reported over 4000 new coronavirus cases Wednesday. Statewide, nearly 1500 people were hospitalized Wednesday with confirmed cases of COVID-19, breaking a record set the day before.

An outbreak isn’t over until four weeks have passed with no new cases linked to it.

St Vrain Valley School District Moves to All Remote Learning

The St Vrain Valley School District will join the Boulder Valley and other area school districts in the move to all remote learning. The district announced Wednesday that they will make the switch after the Thanksgiving break. St Vrain operated on a hybrid model for the past six weeks. Students attended school in person two days a week. The Daily Camera reports that the district will continue with remote learning at least until January.

The Denver Public Schools also announced Wednesday that they will shift to all remote learning after Thanksgiving. DPS reports about 300 coronavirus cases per week now, compared to 13 cases per week in September.

Denver Police Body Cameras Set to Auto-Record When Weapons are Drawn 

New body cameras for Denver cops will automatically start recording when an officer draws their weapon. The Denver City Council on Wednesday approved $11 million for new cameras and upgrades to existing body cams. Denverite reports that  Denver Police Chief Paul Pazen told the city council’s safety committee that the new technology is critical. Pazen says that it’s sometimes a challenge for officers to start their body cams given everything else they’re trying to do. In fact, a report from Denver’s Office of Independent Monitor—the agency charged with independent oversight of police activities—found that in 2019, there were 49 violent interactions with the public that were not recorded on body cams.