Take steps to enjoy a safe holiday season.

My Fellow Coloradans,

While we gather to celebrate the upcoming holidays with those we care about, I encourage you to take simple steps to ensure the safety of yourself and your loved ones. As we enter the holiday season, our State is facing another wave of COVID-19 that is bringing heartache to many of our communities and straining our healthcare systems. Currently, approximately one in 49 Coloradans is infected with COVID-19. 

Vaccines are still the best tool to keep yourself safe and protect those around you. The vast majority of hospitalizations and deaths among COVID patients are among those who are yet to receive a life-saving vaccine. While vaccines are very effective in preventing severe symptoms and hospitalizations, we know their effectiveness wanes over time. That is why we have made booster shots available for anyone over 18 in our State. 

If it has been at least six months since your second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or two months since you received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, find a location or talk to your healthcare provider to receive a free booster.  

Along with vaccines, we still need to take the simple steps we have become accustomed to that will allow us to curb the spread of COVID in our state. These include:

• Getting tested and not gathering with others if you are sick,
• Limiting large indoor gatherings,
• Wearing masks in public indoor settings, and practicing basic hygiene. 

By taking simple steps to keep ourselves and loved ones safe, we can ensure this season remains one of joy.For more tips and information on how you can safely enjoy the holiday season, please visit the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and CDC websites.

I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving and following holiday season. 

Happy holidays,

Gov. Jared Polis

MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY TREATMENTS

Monoclonal antibody treatment has shown to be highly effective for Coloradans who have recently tested positive for COVID-19, preventing severe symptoms and hospitalizations.

This is another reason why testing is so important. For this treatment to produce maximum results, it needs to be taken early, which means learning you are COVID positive is the first critical step. 

So if you test positive after holiday travel or a group gathering, explore monoclonal treatment as an option for your recovery. 

Coloradans who think they qualify for this treatment can call 1-877-268-2926 or visit covid19.colorado.gov/for-coloradans/covid-19-treatments for more information.

VACCINE FINDER

Find a vaccination site near you.

COVID BY THE NUMBERS

Data as of 11:59:59 PM 11/23/2021

It’s easy to get a free, fast, and safe COVID-19 test with more than 100 free community testing sites across Colorado.

If you're experiencing symptoms or have been exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, make an appointment today -- neither insurance nor ID is required to get tested.

NEED A FREE AND FAST COVID TEST?

COVID-19 BOOSTER ELIGIBLITIY

All Coloradans are eligible for booster doses if they have received both doses of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine and it has been more than 6 months since their second dose. Or if they have received the Johnson and Johnson single-dose vaccine more than two months prior.

PROTECTION AGAINST THE FLU

Getting your flu shot is also critical to building resistance against viruses and building up resilience in our economy. It's quick, easy, and free to do your part -- flu vaccines can be found in the majority of major grocery chains, pharmacies, community health clinics, and primary care practices.  

Find sites offering flu vaccines in your community at the link below.

SMALL BUSINESS SUPPORT EVENTS & GRANT PROGRAMS

The Office of Economic Development and International Trade offers help to existing and new businesses, through grants, free confidential consulting, and no or low-cost training programs available in English and Spanish. Read below for November programming:

Advanced Industries Business Accelerator Grant: This grant provides funding to accelerator programs in Colorado that have developed or are developing programming for Colorado early-stage companies in the advanced industries. Applications close Dec 6.

Opportunity Zone Capital Accelerator Program: Businesses located in an opportunity zone will work with a consultant who will guide them through the process of honing their pro forma, capital campaign, and pitch deck. Applications close Dec 13.

Advanced Industries Export Grant: This grant helps Colorado-based advanced industries technology businesses who want to export or are currently exporting.

Business Foundations Technical Assistance Program: This program provides technical assistance and small grants to Colorado small businesses to help businesses legally establish themselves. 

WORK FOR THE STATE

Join us at the State of Colorado! Find meaningful work serving the people of Colorado, and help create a state where all are proud to live, work, and play. You can find many more available jobs by clicking the button below.

• Governor's Office Internships - Part Time
• Budget Coordinator - Full Time
• Principal Analyst - Full Time
• Data Manager, Economic Stimulus - Full Time
• Chief Economist - Full Time
• Budget and Policy Analyst - Full Time
• Senior Global Business Development Manager - Full Time
• Governor Appointed Environmental Justice Ombudsperson - Full Time
• Procurement Technician and Commercial Card Administrator - Full Time
• Emergency Funds Manager - Full Time
• Economic Development Policy Advisor - Full Time
• Sales Force Administrator - Full Time
• Senior Budget and Policy Analyst - Full Time
• Budget and Policy Analyst - Full Time
• Economist and Budget Analyst - Full Time
• Senior Economist and Budget Analyst - Full Time
• Colorado Tourism Office Digital Marketing Manager - Full Time
• Colorado Tourism Marketing Manager - Programs and Promotions - Full Time

OPEN BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS

There are over 300 boards and commissions to which the Governor makes appointments. Boards and commissions are a critically important way for Coloradans to engage in their state government, help improve their communities and create a Colorado for All.

Visit our website to learn more about each board and fill out an application!

Openings:

• Air Quality Control Commission
• Cherry Creek Basin Water Quality Authority
• Colorado Human Trafficking Council
• Colorado Scenic and Historic Byways Commission
• Historic Preservation Review Board
• Judicial Nominating Commissions



For questions regarding the Governor’s Office of Boards and Commissions please contact [email protected]

SHOP LOCAL WITH COLORADO PROUD

Celebrate your holidays this year by shopping local and bringing Colorado Proud food to the table. 

Finding gifts unique to our great state with our holiday gift guide is easy, but don't stop there, check out coloradoproud.com to stay connected to food, agriculture, and beverage curators. To find that perfect holiday tree, don't forget to check out the Colorado Proud holiday tree guide. Take some time to check out the Colorado Agri-tourism page for even more ideas.

Follow Colorado Proud on Facebook and Instagram for fun food to try, places to visit with friends and family, and other exciting events.

SERVE COLORADO OPPORTUNITIES

Serve Colorado is thankful for the over 5,000 AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers who served Colorado communities this year. These individuals have helped protect us from COVID-19, supported our youth, provided resources to those in need, and made our forests more resilient.

Are you our state's next AmeriCorps member? View current opportunities for all ages below:

• Help support students this year by serving with Colorado Youth for a Change to provide reading and math tutoring for elementary and middle school students or engagement support for high school students.
• The Colorado Youth Corps Association is also recruiting members to serve in the Colorado Climate Corps to help provide water and energy efficiency measures to income-qualifying households and non-profit facilities; mitigate the threat of future wildfires and floods, and provide resources and education to marginalized communities experiencing the effects of climate change.

Learn more about Serve Colorado and all of the AmeriCorps programs serving Colorado at the link below.

COLORADO AFGHAN EVACUEE SUPPORT FUND

Colorado is committed to helping Afghan evacuees make Colorado home. We recognize their work and sacrifice as partners to the federal government and to our U.S. military and veteran communities.

That’s why in partnership with fiscal sponsor Rose Community Foundation and the Governor’s Office, The Colorado Afghan Evacuee Support Fund was created to welcome Afghan evacuees and connect them with community resources.

Contributions will fund grants to organizations in Colorado that provide refugee resettlement services, health and mental health services for newcomers, legal services to help evacuees navigate available pathways for permanency in the U.S., and other forms of needed assistance. This fund represents a holistic view of needs that newcomers will have over the long term and commits resources to areas where other funding mechanisms fall short.

To date, the Fund has raised $750,000 and is striving to reach a goal of $5.6 million.

To help support the fund, visit the link below. You can be assured that your funds go to a vital service currently neglected by other efforts, making your dollars all the more impactful.

To learn more about Afghan evacuees, visit the Department of Human Services' Colorado Refugee Services Program website.

WHAT WE'RE WATCHING

Livin' The Wildlife - Colorado Wild Turkeys (Colorado Parks and Wildlife)

NETFLIX - Kim's Convenience

WHAT WE'RE READING

How the Word is Passed, by Clint Smith

The Vanishing Half, by Brit Bennett

WHAT WE'RE LISTENING TO

An Evening With Silk Sonic

30 by Adele