Colorado Politics

State public health officials update outbreak data for COVID-19

The weekly update for outbreaks of COVID-19 at non-hospital health care facilities, corrections facilities, and food-related facilities released Wednesday shows out of the 736 deaths from the virus, 60% are still taking place at those facilities.

The largest outbreak in the state is the Sterling Correctional Facility, with 243 positive cases among inmates and 11 cases among staff. Right behind it is the JBS meat-packing plant in Greeley, with 245 employees testing positive and five who have died. 

But cases are now popping up at more than nursing homes and packing plants. Outbreaks at food supply chains across the Denver metro area are also now seeing (and reporting) cases of COVID-19 among their employees.

New to the list Wednesday: a King Soopers bakery in Denver, exact location unknown, which reported 25 employees who tested positive for COVID-19, and a City Market in Summit County with eight cases. Custom Made Meals of Denver also reported nine cases among its employees. Rocky Mountain Bakehouse, which produces baked goods for Whole Foods, reported five cases among its employees. The Aurora Walmart, which was ordered closed for several days because of an outbreak, reported seven cases among its employees and three deaths tied to the store.

The Leprino cheese plants in Fort Morgan and Greeley are also now reporting large outbreaks. The plant in Fort Morgan reported 80 positive tests among its employees; the plant in Greeley has 24. The Cargill plant, a pork producer in Fort Morgan, has 54 positive tests among its workers. Empire Meats of Denver also reported 19 cases among its employees. A homeless shelter in Denver – New Genesis Transitional – also has reported an outbreak among 10 of its residents. 

United Ground Express, a subsidiary of United Airlines at Denver International Airport, said 14 of its employees have also now tested positive.

The non-hospital health care facilities – nursing homes, rehab and assisted living centers, and group homes, continue to report high numbers of cases. One-hundred thirty facilities in 18 counties are on Wednesday’s list, an increase of 20 from a week ago.

The number of counties with COVID-19 cases has remained constant for more than two weeks, a total of 56 counties. The nine counties that have not reported cases are all in rural parts of the state are Bent, Cheyenne, Conejos, Dolores, Jackson, Kiowa and Sedgwick.

The outbreaks among the 158 facilities on Wednesday’s list account for nearly 4,100 of the more than 14,000 positive tests among Coloradans. A total of 445 people – either residents of those facilities or employees – have died. 

This story has been changed to note Sterling Correctional Facility had the most positive cases in the state.

On June 17, 1999, Correctional Sgt. Tim McGill patrols the north side of the security fence at the Sterling Correctional Facility in Sterling.
Gazette file photo
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