Gov. Polis Issues Order For Hospitals That Reach Capacity

DENVER, CO — Gov. Jared Polis on Monday issued an executive order that allows the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to prevent hospitals that have reached capacity from taking in new patients. The new order aims to help hospitals respond to climbing coronavirus case rates.

Under the order, when a hospital reaches capacity, it's required to notify the state agency, which can then order the hospital to stop taking new patients and transfer them to other area hospitals.

The order requires hospitals to stabilize any patients before they are transferred, officials said.

The new order is set to end in 30 days, unless it's extended.

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Between Saturday at 4 p.m. and Sunday at 4 p.m., 3,685 new coronavirus cases were reported in Colorado, according to state public health data.

As of Sunday, 35 percent of Colorado hospitals anticipated staff shortages within the next week, and 11 percent anticipated intensive care unit bed shortages over the next week, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Around 47 percent of the state's critical care ventilators were in use Sunday, the data shows.

An emergency coronavirus alert was sent to Coloradans' phones at 9 a.m. Sunday. The alerts went out to residents in 'Level Red' counties on the state's COVID-19 dial.

>> Read the full executive order here.