There are 14 COVID-19 outbreaks in Colorado schools confirmed over the past week, the first such clusters identified this academic year. 

One hundred and fourteen students have been infected in the new outbreaks, along with 17 staff members, according to data published every Wednesday by the state Department of Public Health and Environment. Of the 14 outbreaks, nearly all had no mask mandate at the time their outbreaks were identified. Only Jefferson County Public Schools, which instituted its mask order last week, is a district with an outbreak and such a requirement. Two others – Douglas County Public Schools and Adams County’s District 27J – reported the outbreaks the day after their county health department implemented the requirement.

Children are significantly less likely to experience severe disease, hospitalization or death from COVID-19 infections than older people, experts have long maintained. Gov. Jared Polis said last week that fewer than 20 adolescents are currently hospitalized, out of more than 800 total patients. Hospital capacity, including at Colorado’s pediatric facilities, continues to be solid, Polis told reporters Wednesday.

Of the 14 school outbreaks, Jefferson County’s has the fewest affected students: only one, according to the data. Six staff members from the district have been infected. Jefferson County Public Schools implemented its mask order Aug. 17, six days before the school-based outbreak was reported.

One district, Montrose County’s West End Public Schools, has moved its elementary, middle and high schools into virtual learning. The closures were announced Aug. 18, the same day the district moved to virtual. School started there Aug. 9.

“Due to an increase in illnesses and multiple confirmed COVID cases throughout the district, the Naturita Elementary, Nucla High and Nucla Middle schools will be closed to in person learning for the next ten days,” the district wrote on its website. “Students will be switching to a remote learning platform as of Thursday, August 19, 2021 through Thursday, August 27, 2021.”

Mesa County Valley School District and Douglas County each have four school outbreaks. In El Paso County, Falcon County School District 49 has two.

Three of the districts with outbreaks – based in Douglas, Arapahoe and Adams counties – are now under mask orders, generally. At the time of several of their outbreaks, however, none of them required masks. Two other outbreaks in those counties were identified Aug. 24, a day after the Tri-County Health Department instituted its mask order. 

The Adams County Commission voted Tuesday to opt out of the order, a day after it was implemented. The commissioners also voiced support for masks and frustration with how the order was implemented. Douglas County’s commission voted to opt out last week, though its school district has continued the order and voiced strong support for it at a school board meeting Tuesday night.

The outbreak figures, taken from school districts that largely have thousands, if not tens of thousands, of students, do not take into account total cases within those districts, nor do they account for quarantines. A message to the state Department of Public Health and Environment seeking quarantine data was not returned Wednesday. 

The governor stressed Wednesday that his priority with schools remains in-person learning. He said the state will have a “serious conversation” with districts that don’t implement measures like masking and have to move to remote learning because of high rates of spread.