Boulder County Coronavirus Update: New Cases, Vaccination Rates

BOULDER COUNTY, CO — Over the past month, more than 1,400 new cases of the coronavirus have been reported in Boulder County, according to the latest public health data.

More than 236,000 Boulder County residents — or 81 percent of the eligible population — have received at least one dose of their vaccine, according to Boulder County Public Health. Around 219,000 residents — 76 percent of the county — are fully inoculated.

As of Monday, 25,977 people in the county had tested positive for the virus since the outbreak began. The death toll has reached 264 after three new deaths were reported over the past month.

Nearly all new cases in Colorado are the Delta variant, state public health officials said.

Around 894 people have been hospitalized in Boulder County since the outbreak began, and 24 new hospitalizations were reported over the past month.

Don't miss the latest coronavirus updates from health and government officials in Boulder: Free Newsletters and Email Alerts | Facebook | Twitter

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration fully approved the Pfizer-BiNTech's coronavirus vaccine Monday for people ages 16 and older, and Gov. Jared Polis said he's hopeful that the approval will cause vaccination rates to rise in Colorado.

"I know that some people were waiting for full FDA approval to get vaccinated, and now that day is finally here and you can start the protection clock today," Polis said in a statement.

"This remains a pandemic of the unvaccinated and we know that the Delta variant has threatened our progress, our economy and way of life and the FDA approval of the vaccine is a step forward."

The coronavirus vaccine is effective against the delta variant, particularly two weeks after both doses are received, public health officials said.

The variant, which was first seen in India and was first detected in the United States in March, spreads 50 percent faster than the alpha variant that originated in Great Britain, which itself spreads 50 percent faster than the original coronavirus strain, according to Yale Medicine.

>> Learn more about how to get your vaccine in Boulder County here.