DENVER - Today, Governor Jared Polis and Dr. Eric France, Colorado’s Chief Medical Officer, provided an update on the pandemic, including the CDC’s updated guidance on quarantining and isolation and an overview of the state’s free, community COVID-19 testing locations.
“Colorado, we’ve come a long way this year, from the initial rollout of the vaccine to having one of the highest vaccination rates in the country, and leading the way as one of the top ten states for third doses. Bravo, Colorado and thank you for doing your part,” said Governor Polis. “As we head into 2022, I encourage everyone to get their third dose, test regularly, and most of all, get the vaccine if you remain unvaccinated.”
On Tuesday, CDPHE received updated guidance to match new recommendations from the CDC regarding COVID-19 isolation and quarantine for health care workers and the general public. Dr. France provided an update on how Coloradans should follow these new guidelines.
“These recommendations align nicely with the change in biology and the changing infectiousness of this Omicron variant,” said Dr. France, Colorado’s Chief Medical Officer. “Also, they are very important for us as we all know we have staffing challenges across all areas of our economy, and having folks be able to return back to work because they are feeling better means that they are back helping all of us with the day-to-day work that needs to be done.”
This updated guidance reduces the recommended time in isolation for those in the general population with COVID-19 from 10 to five days, if asymptomatic on day five, followed by an additional five days wearing a mask when around others. This change is based on data showing that the majority of COVID-19 transmission occurs early in the course of illness.
People who live or work in residential or congregate living settings should continue to follow the isolation and quarantine guidance for their setting to mitigate the risk of transmission within the facility.
Regular testing for COVID-19 is important as more and more Coloradans travel for the holidays. If you are experiencing any symptoms or if you believe you have been exposed, you should get tested. There are more than 150 community testing sites across the state that offer quick, free, and easy testing. A list of all these sites can be found at: covid19.colorado.gov/testing.
Colorado is also now offering dual community vaccination and testing sites. These sites are open and available to Coloradans at:
Commerce City - Dick's Sporting Goods Park - 6000 Victory Way, Lot H
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7 days a week, 8am-6pm. Closed on New Years Day
Denver - Kunsmiller Academy - 2250 S Quitman St. Denver, CO 80219
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Monday-Saturday, 8am-6pm
Fort Collins - Timberline Church - 2908 S Timberline Rd. Fort Collins CO 80525
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Monday-Friday, 8am-6pm
WaterWorld - 8801 N Pecos St, Federal Heights, CO 80260
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Thursday-Sunday, 8am-7pm
Vail Health - 180 S Frontage Rd W 2nd Floor, Vail, CO 81657
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7 Days a week (closed Jan 1st), 9am-7pm
Masking remains another critical tool in the fight against COVID-19, and Colorado has been distributing masks to students and staff in schools since the 20-21 school year. To date, Colorado has distributed more than 40 Million surgical masks, more than 7.5 Million KN95s, and more than 4 Million child size masks. In 2022, the state will continue distributing kids’s red, green, black and blue masks that display the Colorado logo to schools. An additional 3 million kid-sized masks have already been allocated to schools for January for the start of the spring semester.
For schools who haven’t signed up but would like to, please visit www.cde.state.co.us/
View today’s press conference and see frequently asked questions regarding the omicron variant.