November 2020 CELEBRATING SAFELY Thanksgiving will look different this year. Coloradans who intend to spend time with anyone outside of their homes needed to begin quarantining two weeks ago, and should quarantine for at least 14 days after the holiday. It’s very likely that if many Coloradans choose to spend Thanksgiving with their family and friends in-person, we will see a spike in cases above what we’re already experiencing. The impact could: Prolong these concerning trends; Move us closer to exceeding hospital capacity across the state; and Inflict further damage on our economy and small businesses. To protect yourself and others this year, you could cook and eat dinner with family and friends online, or play a game virtually! There are many ways to share this day together, safely. Governor Polis today gave thanks for his family and loved ones, and for the sacrifice of so many Coloradans who have gone above and beyond to help their communities and our state during this challenging time. And we are all so grateful for the dedication of our health care workers and first responders on the front lines of this pandemic. We all want to be with our loved ones and we will be able to do so again more safely in the future. Have a happy, safe, and healthy Thanksgiving, Colorado! CASE TRENDS UPDATE Today, Governor Polis was joined by Dr. Rachel Herlihy, our state’s lead epidemiologist, to provide an update on Colorado’s COVID-19 response and the latest modeling data. Currently, Coloradans are more likely to contract the virus than ever before: The State estimates that 1 in 41 Coloradans are contagious right now. If you have even 10 people at a gathering, you face nearly a 1 in 4 chance that someone will be contagious with COVID-19. 40% of COVID-19 cases in Colorado are from people who have no symptoms. This week, the Governor spoke with Dr. Anthony Fauci, M.D., NIAID Director about the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Fauci said help in the form of a promising vaccine is near, and urged Coloradans to let that news redouble our individual efforts to stay apart now, and do what we know we can do to slow the spread of the virus. Dr. Fauci also highlighted the importance of targeted actions and reiterated that major drivers of virus transmission are connected to innocent personal gatherings, sharing that he himself will be spending Thanksgiving separate from his children. We hope Dr. Fauci can join us virtually sometime in the near future. Now, as we approach Thanksgiving, is the time to be overly cautious, not fearful. We must listen to scientists and leaders like Dr. Fauci and Dr. Herlihy, who recommends only socializing with members of your immediate household, wearing a mask, and standing six feet from others when you have to leave your home. HOSPITALIZATIONS Governor Polis shared that hospital capacity is becoming troubling, as, over the last two weeks, 31 hospitals have projected staffing shortages to occur within the next week. Colorado is also beginning to approach nearly double the number of daily hospitalizations that were reported back in the spring, and more people in Colorado are hospitalized due to COVID-19 than ever before. As of today, more than 10% of our hospitals are predicting they will exceed their ICU capacity within the next week and will need to rely on other hospitals to manage their surge. Dr. Herlihy pointed out that hospitalizations due to COVID-19 continue to climb. On the current trajectory, the state will exceed ICU bed capacity in January, and we may experience 6,600 deaths by the end of the year -- or more, if distancing is reduced over the holidays. Dr. Herlihy reminded Coloradans to follow the three key rules: Do not gather with individuals outside your household, including on Thanksgiving. Wear a mask any time you leave your home. Ensure you are 6 feet apart any time you are around people not in your household. If our North Star is to ensure that every Coloradan who needs hospital care can receive it, then we must do our part to stop the spread. BACK TO SCHOOL WORKING GROUP While Colorado works to contain the pandemic, the Governor wants to ensure that Colorado’s kids receive a quality education, which is why Governor Polis shared that he is convening a working group to provide input on how our kids can return to in-person learning safely in January. The working group is still being finalized, and the State is working closely with stakeholders including teachers, superintendents, elected school boards, health officials, and parents, to develop a diverse group that will help Colorado move forward. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ Visit Website Office of Governor Jared Polis | 136 State Capitol , Denver, CO 80203 Unsubscribe [email protected] Update Profile | About our service provider Sent by [email protected]