March 2021 TRAGEDY IN BOULDER Governor Polis began today’s press briefing by taking a moment to acknowledge the horrific tragedy that occurred in Boulder last week. Coloradans lost 10 of our neighbors, friends, coworkers, and family members last week as they were at work or shopping for groceries. With heavy hearts, we mourn this tragedy and this incredible loss. This pain is going to be with us for a long time. The arms of Coloradans are open with love and compassion for those affected - the family members victims leave behind, and the broader community, particularly in South Boulder. The Governor is grateful for the support of all of our Colorado communities and communities around the country who have stood with us during this very dark time, and encourages Coloradans to reach out for support as we grieve together. These traumatic situations take a toll on all of us and support is critical. You can find helpful resources below: Colorado Crisis Services hotline: 1-844-493-8255 National Disaster Distress Helpline: 1-800-985-5990 If you are a parent, here is a link to helpful resources on how to discuss with your children. Colorado Healing Fund, a nonprofit that gives people a secure way to donate to the victims of mass casualty crimes in Colorado, recently activated to collect funds specifically for the Boulder shooting victims and their families. You can donate online at colorado healing fund.org. If you would like to make a monetary donation to fallen Boulder Police Officer Eric Talley or for the civilian victims of yesterday's shooting, please visit boulderoem.com/donations/ for information. Community Foundation Boulder County has announced a fund to support the needs of victims and families of the larger boulder community after yesterday’s shooting. Visit commfound.givecorps.com to learn more. GENERAL POPULATION VACCINE ELIGIBILITY Today, Governor Polis was joined by Brigadier General Scott Sherman to discuss the next phase of our vaccine distribution. We’ve all waited long enough for this moment, so we won’t have you wait any longer: Starting this Friday, April 2nd, all Coloradans over the age of 16 will be eligible to receive the Pfizer vaccine, and all Coloradans over the age of 18 will be eligible to receive the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The State feels confident opening up eligibility for all Coloradans to sign up to receive the vaccine because of the people who brought us to this point, scientists and people who were apart of the vaccine trials, including Coloradans, for the hundreds of thousands in our state who survived COVID, and the people who kept them alive to be here to see it. Achieving immunity for the majority of Coloradans takes all hands on deck and the response has been unprecedented. In the face of competing pressures to treat COVID-19 patients in our hospitals and administer vaccines, our frontline heroes - both professional and volunteers - stepped up and have been racing to get us over the finish line. We did not elect them or ask for a show of hands. They took it upon themselves to help us prepare to carry out the greatest feat in human history, inoculating millions in our state and traveled to help out in overwhelmed hospital systems around the country. Knowing their risk was far greater, many doctors and nurses came out of retirement to strengthen the response. The Governor looks forward to the day our health care workers can take a much-needed breather and reflect on the time they helped save the fate of an entire state and nation. When all Coloradans who want one have access to the vaccine, we can sooner open up more parts of our economy, enjoy the experiences that make us more connected, and breathe easier without constant fear of getting or spreading this deadly virus. VACCINE PROGRESS TO GOALS In the beginning, the State set an overall goal to get vaccines into the arms of the majority of our highest-risk populations so we can save the most lives and end this pandemic more quickly. In the last month alone, we’ve blown past ambitious benchmarks and exceeded the goals we set out to achieve. By the beginning of March, we had vaccinated over 70% of Coloradans 70 and older. Today the Governor was proud to announce that 79% of ALL Coloradans 70 and older have been vaccinated with 445,214 having received their first dose. 40% of our hospitalizations and 78% of deaths due to COVID-19 are attributed to this group. We know older Coloradans overall who get COVID-19 are more likely to have devastating outcomes. Of Coloradans ages 65-69, 71% have received at least one dose, and over half of Coloradans 60-64 have received at least one dose. As of this morning, including the weekend data, 70% of the over 1.2 million Coloradans age 60 and older have received their first dose - this is great news! This brings the total number of Coloradans vaccinated in current phases up to over 1.5 million (1,579,599) for the first dose, and almost 1 million (999,618) have been fully immunized. We owe a debt of gratitude to our vaccine team at the state led by Scott Bookman and Brigadier General Sherman, emergency management agencies, local governments and public health agencies, tribal leaders, community leaders, Colorado’s National Guard, and an army of volunteers, who have worked relentlessly to get vaccines to our most vulnerable. COMMUNITY VACCINATION SITES A robust vaccine delivery infrastructure guarantees that we leave no dose to waste and more Coloradans at increased risk have access, building our path toward opening up eligibility to the general population around Friday. Since December, three safe, effective, and free vaccines for Coloradans have come online. Like other states, Colorado experienced prolonged stretches of time when we simply did not have enough vaccines coming into our state from the federal government. But we knew that as more vaccines became available, we would need to be able to better serve our medically-underserved Coloradans and more populations at higher risk of exposure in their daily lives or face an increased possibility of suffering from COVID-19 complications. Ending the pandemic for one of us begins the end of the pandemic for all of us. That’s why we launched large-scale Vaccines for All Community Vaccination Sites. Depending on supply, a maximum of 6,000 doses per day will be administered at each site, six days per week, for a total of 36,000 doses administered each week through the program. In the last two weeks, the Governor had the privilege of joining the launch of the Broadmoor World Arena site in Colorado Springs, Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, and The Ranch Events Complex in Loveland. Right now, five locations are open in five counties for Coloradans ages 50 years and older to receive the vaccine. To date, 35,322 doses have been administered through Community Vaccination Sites. These sites will be open for everyone beginning this Friday, April 2nd. Appointments are required: Adams County - Dick’s Sporting Goods Park Sunday – Wednesday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Register: centura.org/covid-19/covid-19-vaccine-information/vaccine-events Call: 720-263-5737 El Paso County - Broadmoor World Arena Friday – Monday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Register: centura.org/covid-19/covid-19-vaccine-information/vaccine-events Call: 720-263-5737 Mesa County - Grand Junction Convention Center Monday - Friday, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m Register: health.mesacounty.us/covid19/vaccine/ Larimer County - The Ranch Events Complex Monday - Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Register: larimerhealth.secure.force.com/Vaccine/ Pueblo County - Colorado State Fairgrounds Friday – Monday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Register: centura.org/covid-19/covid-19-vaccine-information/vaccine-events Call: 720-263-5737 Denver County’s site at Ball Arena will open up on April 1st. All sites are drive-thru, and all vaccines are free with no copay. While providers can ask for identification, you do not need to show providers any form of ID if they ask. EQUITY CLINICS Colorado has numerous strategies in place to narrow gaps in vaccine distribution. In addition to standing up Community Vaccination Sites, the State’s Vaccine Equity Outreach Team is working directly with community-based organizations, providers, local public health agencies, and Tribes to set up vaccine events and direct-shipping doses to providers serving our hardest-to-reach communities. Weekly allocation priorities direct 15% to CDPHE and the Vaccine Equity Task Force, and 85% to enrolled providers. The 15% equity allocation focuses on the community-based organization clinics organized in partnership with the state and local entities and communities. Our Federally Qualified Health Centers and other safety-net clinics that support disproportionately impacted populations also receive allocations from the 15% Equity Task Force allocation. As of today: Equity clinics have been held in more than 30 counties, as well as throughout the Denver metro area, with plans to expand to additional counties. 111 clinics have been completed 10-12 clinics completed per week on average Over 75 clinics scheduled through April 6th and are expected to administer 30,400+ doses The State is also working with 9Health to use their established infrastructure and community partnerships to pilot clinics in some of these same communities. The Vaccine Equity Outreach Team will continue providing staffing support and technical assistance at clinics wherever help is needed. Additionally, the Governor announced that four mobile vaccine bus clinics will be deployed within the next week. These mobile clinics will help serve rural communities and underserved urban communities. A schedule with locations and dates will be made available to the public. ANTICIPATED VACCINE SUPPLY The balance we strike between our vaccine supply and the number of Coloradans eligible to receive them will be critical when we start vaccinating the general population. Now that we see a steady week-over-week increase of vaccines shipped to Colorado, we can aim even higher. Brigadier General Sherman provided an update on Colorado’s anticipated vaccine supply coming from the federal government over the next few weeks: Week of March 28th 274,340 doses of Pfizer and Moderna 32,000 doses of Johnson & Johnson 115,750 doses from federal entities Total: 422,090 doses Week of April 4th 256,790 doses of Pfizer and Moderna 115,750 doses from federal entities Total: 372,540 doses April 11th 275,510 doses of Pfizer and Moderna 115,750 doses from federal entities Total: 391,260 doses These allocations are determined by the federal government and the State will update this information as we receive it. PATIENCE IS KEY Due to our distribution infrastructure that includes over a thousand vaccine providers, a half-dozen large-scale Community Vaccination Sites, and more equity clinics every day, and more vaccines coming in, we’re confident there will be a vaccine for everyone who wants one starting at the beginning of April. Getting vaccines to all Coloradans who want one will take some time. Patience will be key. Our major health providers and community health partners will be ready to schedule appointments online or over the phone, but not everyone will get a slot immediately. Some will get an appointment the next day. For others, within a few weeks after eligibility opens up or not until Memorial Day. We anticipate that everyone who wants it will have access to the vaccine by the end of May. COVID VACCINE RESOURCES Remember, if you are 16 or 17, only the Pfizer vaccine is currently approved for you. For anyone 18 and older, any of the three vaccines are safe and effective. You can sign up to schedule an appointment with a provider and get more information by going to COCOVIDVACCINE.ORG or calling 1-877-CO VAX CO (1-877-268-2926). Appointments can also be scheduled through Community Vaccination Sites and local retail pharmacies. If you were included in previous phases, providers have the discretion to prioritize your appointment. STILL A TIME FOR CAUTION The success of the State’s part, providing access to a vaccine for every Coloradan who wants one, depends on Coloradans continuing to do their part. While the vaccine is free for all, the vaccine is not a free pass to make decisions that jeopardize others' health and safety or risk your own. For Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines, it typically takes two weeks for the body to build immunity after vaccination. That means you can be infected from exposure to COVID-19 just before or just after vaccination. This is still a time for caution. New cases and hospitalizations are holding steady, but emerging COVID-19 variants are cause for concern. There may still be gray days ahead, but if we keep our masks on a little longer, keep our distance whenever possible, and get the vaccine when it’s our turn, a hopeful summer will be here before we know it. BUILD BACK STRONGER ECONOMIC TOUR The State of Colorado and our local governments including cities and counties are expected to receive billions of dollars from the 2021 American Rescue Plan. This provides our state with a unique opportunity to invest in the areas that have been hit the hardest by the crisis brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and to build back stronger by making economic investments that will benefit Colorado for generations to come. In an effort to better understand the needs and current economic challenges facing our state, Governor Polis, State Legislators and the Treasurer’s Office has launched a statewide virtual listening tour to gather ideas from communities across the state on how federal stimulus dollars can best be used to help our economy, and Coloradans, recover faster. These events are an opportunity for the Legislature and the Governor to hear from community leaders and the public from across the State. Our primary goal is to LISTEN. The format is intended to be an innovative model and approach to getting significant community feedback over a short time frame to inform budget and policy choices. Regional dates, times, and RSVP links are below: Northern Colorado: Tuesday March 30th at 6pm RSVP [link removed] Denver Metro North: Thursday April 1st, 6pm RSVP [link removed] Four Corners: Saturday April 3rd, 9:30am RSVP [link removed] Denver Metro South: Saturday April 3rd, 4pm RSVP [link removed] Colorado Springs: Monday April 5th, 6pm RSVP [link removed] Eastern Plains: Wednesday April 7th, 6pm RSVP [link removed] Southern Colorado and the Western Slope regions had their meeting yesterday, March 28th. Sector Specific dates, times and RSVP links are below: Events, Dining & Tourism: Wednesday March 31st, 12:30pm RSVP [link removed] African American Community: Wednesday March 31st, 6pm-7pm RSVP [link removed] Environment, Clean Energy & Conservation: Friday April 2nd, 3pm RSVP [link removed] Quality of Life: Tuesday April 6th, 1:30pm-2:30pm RSVP [link removed] Local Governments: Monday April 5th, 1pm RSVP [link removed] Workforce: Tuesday April 2nd, 11am-12pm RSVP [link removed] Latino Community: Tuesday April 6th, 6pm RSVP [link removed] Rural & Agriculture: Wednesday April 7th, 1pm RSVP [link removed] Healthcare, Human Services & Behavioral Health: Thursday April 8, 1pm RSVP [link removed] Asian American and Pacific Islander Community: Thursday April 8th, 6pm RSVP [link removed] Chambers of Commerce & Economic Development Councils: Friday April 9th, 1pm RSVP [link removed] ‌ ‌ ‌ Visit Website Office of Governor Jared Polis | 136 State Capitol , Denver, CO 80203 Unsubscribe [email protected] Update Profile | Customer Contact Data Notice Sent by [email protected]