Colorado To Close COVID-19 Test Sites As Part Of 'Roadmap Forward'

DENVER, CO — Colorado's department of Public Health and Environment announced Wednesday that it will close 40 COVID-19 testing sites by the end of April as a component of Gov. Jared Polis' "Roadmap to moving Forward."

This month's slate of closures represents the state's gradual transitioning from state-run testing centers back to more traditional healthcare environments, public health officials said in a news release.

The current demand for testing in Colorado is below 2,500 tests per day on average, according to the state health department. That's about five percent of the state's testing capacity. To accommodate the remaining demand for testing, as well as the possibility of an increase in that demand, eighty community testing sites with capacities of 26,000 tests daily will remain open.

Though state and federal-funded programs — such as COVID.gov/tests, a pharmacy-commercial laboratory partnership titled Increased Community Access to Testing, and the Test to Treat program — will remain in place to offer a "safety net" to Coloradans, the state will transition to treating COVID as an endemic, rather than a pandemic, according to the news release.

The state will begin to rely more on traditional healthcare settings for testing, vaccination and treatment, though it will maintain a cache of one million rapid tests for community distribution.

In addition, the state health department will maintain a two- to four-week "remobilization schedule" for potential drive-thru community testing sites.

"Colorado’s network of more than 150 community testing sites across the state have provided free, reliable testing options to Coloradans throughout the pandemic," said Dr. Emily Travanty, the state laboratory director. "We took careful consideration of community needs and capacity demand in determining the schedule of site closures. We considered equity, site traffic and strategic location when determining the 80 sites that remain open.

"Now is an appropriate time to begin this gradual transition as we continue to see a plateau in case rates in Colorado, and decreased demand for community testing," she said.

Here are the testing sites that will be closing in April:

• 16th St Mall (1600 California Street Suite 1, Denver, CO 80202)
• 5th Street Garage -Auraria Campus (955 Lawrence Way Denver, CO 80204)
• AIMS Community College (5401 20th St, Greeley, CO 80634)
• Aspen Airport Cell Lot (233 Airport Rd, Aspen, CO 81611)
• Aurora Center for Active Adults - Del Mar (30 West Del Mar Circle, Aurora, CO 80011)
• Buena Vista Community Center (715 E Main Street, Buena Vista, CO 81211)
• Clear Creek Valley Park (3700 W 58th Pl., Arvada, CO 80002)
• Colorado Mountain College-Edwards (150 Miller Ranch Rd, Edwards, CO 81632)
• Rio Grande Social Services (1015 6th St., Del Norte, CO 81132)
• Eastman Park (7025 Eastman Park Dr, Windsor, CO 80550)
• Echo Park Stadium - Doug Co Parker (11901 Newlin Gulch Blvd., Parker, CO 80134)
• Fairplay Community Center (880 Bogue St, Fairplay, CO 80440)
• Fort Garland Community Center (17523 US-160, Blanca, CO 81123)
• Fraser Historic Church (107 Eisenhower Dr Fraser, CO 80468)
• Fruita 8/9 School (1835 J Rd., Fruita, CO 81521)
• Georgetown (1198 Argentine St. Georgetown, CO 80444)
• Glenwood Springs Community Center (100 Wulfsohn Rd, Glenwood Springs, CO 81601)
• Inn at Silvercreek Granby (62927 US Highway 40, Granby, CO 80446) Closing April 14
• Jefferson County Fairgrounds (15200 W. 6th Ave. Frontage Rd., Golden, CO 80401)
• Kunsmiller Creative Arts (2250 S Quitman St. Denver, CO 80219)
• La Veta Fire Protection District (100 Birch St, La Veta, CO 81055)
• Lakewood at South Kipling (260 S. Kipling St., Lakewood, CO 80226)
• Lamar Community Building (610 S 6th St, Lamar, CO 81052)
• Lincoln County Public Health (326 8th St, Hugo, CO 80821)
• Littleton SouthWest Plaza (8501 W Bowles Ave, Littleton, CO 80123)
• Mission Medical (2125 E LaSalle St., Colorado Springs, CO 80909)
• Monte Vista - Chapman Park (300-398 W Prospect Ave, Monte Vista, CO 81144)
• Montessori School of Evergreen (6989 County Hwy 73, Evergreen, CO 80439)
• Mountain Family Health Center (195 14th Street, Rifle, CO 81650)
• Nederland Community Center (750 Highway 72 N. Nederland, CO 80466)
• Our Lady Mother of the Church (6690 E 72nd Ave, Commerce City, CO 80022)
• Peach Tree Shopping (3225 I-70BL, Clifton CO 81520)
• Red Rocks Community College (5444 Miller St Arvada, CO 80002)
• Rocky Ford Public Safety Building (300 S Main St, Rocky Ford, CO 81067)
• Rocky Mountain Prep (3752 Tennyson Street Denver, CO 80212)
• Silverthorne Recreation Center (430 Rainbow Dr, Silverthorne, CO 80498)
• Sky Ridge Campus - Lone Tree (10101 Ridgegate Pkwy, Lone Tree, CO 80124)
• Snowmass Village Town Hall- (130 Kearns Rd, Snowmass Village, CO)
• Timberline Church (2908 S Timberline Rd , Fort Collins CO 80525, US) Closing April 15
• E: Closing April 8 Water World (8801 N Pecos St, Federal Heights, CO 80260)