COLORADO SPRINGS — Gov. Jared Polis will provide an update Friday afternoon on the state's response to COVID-19.
News5 will be streaming this press conference scheduled to begin at 12:30 p.m. on our Facebook page and within this article.
The governor said there has been a significant increase in hospitalizations in white Coloradans, and ages 60 to 69 are seeing most hospitalizations recently. The average length of hospitalizations has been typically four to five days with some patients requiring longer hospitalizations.
Hospitalization data by age groups was also presented by Polis:
The statewide mask mandate will also be renewed to continue with the state's economic recovery and help save lives.
This follows the press conference from Tuesday where Polis reiterated the continued practice of washing hands, wearing masks, and practicing social distancing until there is a vaccine available. The current trend of COVID-19 cases in the case is not jeopardizing our current privileges, but it is a concerning rate that could lead to high hospitalizations.
State Epidemiologist Rachel Herlihy said there have been high levels of disease transmission overall, but specifically for cases of people 18 to 25 years old, there have been decreases in the last two weeks. The concerning trend is in older age groups which is leading to more hospitalizations.
There has been a steady increase in hospitalizations in the last two weeks across the state with model projections showing a "substantial increase" in the number of cases occurring if social distancing decreases during the holiday season.
The governor said the goal is to handle hospitalization issues by regions/areas, which is part of the reason the state health department released the COVID-19 dial system.
Leading into the Thanksgiving and the winter holidays, Herlihy mentioned the importance of bringing down the number of cases prior to this season because of the anticipation of decreased social distancing.
"We all want to be able to see our loved ones during the holiday season," Polis said as he encouraged people to wear masks and social distance leading up to the winter season.
