Surge Of Coronavirus Cases Reported In Jefferson County

JEFFERSON COUNTY, CO — Coronavirus cases have increased rapidly over the past month in Jefferson County, public health officials said.

Between Aug. 16 and Aug. 22, 878 new cases were reported — more than three times the number reported between July 16 and July 22, according to Dr. Dawn Comstock, executive director of Jefferson County Public Health.

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

Jefferson County issued a mask recommendation July 29 — everyone, regardless of whether they've been vaccinated against the coronavirus, is urged to wear a mask indoors, the agency said.

The agency also issued an order Aug. 16 for schools that requires everyone ages 2 and older to wear masks indoors.

In Jeffco Public Health's monthly newsletter, Comstock outlined the agency's reason for issuing the order for schools.

"Over the past few weeks, we have seen schools that do not require masking in other parts of the country be required to send large numbers of students home to quarantine and even close schools," Comstock said.

"Due to the highly transmissible Delta variant now driving a surge of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in our county, coupled with insufficient vaccination coverage in schoolchildren, we must act now to prevent unnecessary illness and help protect in-person learning and educational experiences as much as possible. The goal shared by Jeffco parents, school leaders and public health leaders is to protect in-person learning."

More than 76 percent of Jefferson County residents have received at least one dose of their vaccine, and 71.2 percent are fully inoculated, county data shows.

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"We learned a great deal firsthand during the 2020-21 school year in Jeffco, and a wealth of scientific studies have proven that universal mask policies are safe and very effective at reducing the spread of COVID-19 in schools," Comstock's letter read. "Requiring masking indoors for everyone, combined with implementing a testing policy and promoting vaccination, will help reduce the virus in these high-density indoor settings, prevent outbreaks and minimize disruptive quarantines and isolations.

"Research conducted by Children’s Hospital Colorado, has determined there is no evidence that wearing a mask is bad for kids and they agree the most important thing for kids’ mental wellness is to keep them in school in-person. Keeping kids in school is something we all want, and with some simple but important steps, we can preserve this next school year for our Jeffco youth."

As of Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention classified Jefferson County case rates as 'high,' which means that residents are advised to wear masks while indoors in all public spaces.

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 about how you can get vaccinated in Jefferson County here.