Colorado Reaches Highest COVID-19 Hospitalizations So Far In 2021

COLORADO — Colorado has reached the highest number of COVID-19 hospitalizations so far in 2021, state public health officials said in a news conference Friday morning.

As of Thursday, 982 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 in our state, the latest public health data shows. Of that number, 765 people — or 78 percent — are unvaccinated, according to Scott Bookman, COVID-19 incident commander with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. All cases in our state are now the delta variant.

Don’t miss the latest news updates in Denver, Boulder, Arvada, Lakewood and Littleton. Sign up for free Patch news alerts and newsletters for what you need to know daily.

Nearly 90 percent of Colorado's ICU beds were in use as of Thursday, Bookman said. He urged people to get their flu shots to avoid overwhelming hospitals.

Counties such as Eagle, Boulder and Broomfield have lower hospitalizations due to higher vaccination rates, Gov. Jared Polis said in a news conference Wednesday.

"We are here because of a crisis … the crisis of the unvaccinated,” Polis said. “There are a lot of Coloradans unnecessarily hospitalized … some of them won’t make it.”

Pueblo, Weld and Mesa have lower vaccination rates and more COVID-19 patients experiencing severe symptoms and ending up in the hospital, public health officials said.

“It’s okay to be uncertain and have questions about the vaccines, and even be a little scared, but that’s what doctors are here for," said Dr. Kyle Leggott, a family medicine doctor with UCHealth.

"We’re here to make sure patients have the best available information and to answer questions, so that patients can make the best decisions for their health and the health of those around them.”

>> Information about how to get vaccinated against COVID-19 in Colorado can be found here, and find your nearest flu shot site here.