Denver COVID Update: Vax Deadline Coming Up, Hospitals 'Stressed'

DENVER, CO — As the deadline approaches for City and County of Denver employees to submit proof of vaccination against COVID-19, the metro area is seeing early indicators of stabilization in virus hospitalizations.

As of Friday, 92 percent of City and County of Denver employees have submitted vaccine proof or received an approved exemption, officials said.

Public sector employees and private-sector workers in high-risk settings (including schools, hospitals and shelters) must be fully vaccinated by Thursday.

Local business owners with questions about implementing vaccine mandates for employees or customers can attend a webinar hosted by Denver officials on Tuesday from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. Anyone interested can sign up here.

Read more: Vaccine Mandate In Denver: What To Know

As of Thursday, Sept. 23, the seven-day moving average of COVID-19 cases in Denver is 120.3 cases per 100,000 people, according to the City and County's dashboard. That's down from Friday, Sept. 17's seven-day moving average of 166.7 cases per 100,000 people.

North Central Region Healthcare Coalition officials said the metro area's hospital/healthcare system "remains stressed due to general high inpatient and emergency department volume" – though officials said the area is "beginning to see early indicators of stabilization in COVID-19 hospitalizations."

Less than 20 percent of intensive care unit and medical/surgical beds are available in the metro area, and approximately 80 percent of those hospitalized are unvaccinated.

Healthcare staffing "remains tight," officials said.

As of Friday, Sept. 24, 81.3 percent of Denver residents ages 12 and older have initiated vaccination, and 75.1 percent are fully vaccinated, according to the dashboard.

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