COVID-19 News Update

First Reported COVID-19 Variant

• The first reported U.S. case of the COVID-19 variant that’s been seen in the United Kingdom has been discovered in Colorado, Gov. Jared Polis announced Dec. 30, adding urgency to efforts to vaccinate Americans.

According to news reports, the variant was found in a man in his 20s who is in isolation southeast of Denver in Elbert County and has no travel history, state health officials said. Rural Elbert County is at the far edge of the Denver metro area that includes a portion of Interstate 70, the state’s main east-west highway.

The Colorado State Laboratory confirmed the virus variant and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was notified. Scientists in the U.K. believe the variant is more contagious than previously identified strains. The vaccines being given now are thought to be effective against the variant, Colorado health officials said in a news release.

For the moment, the variant is likely still rare in the U.S., but it has probably been seeded by travelers from Britain in November or December, according to scientists studying the virus.

Public health officials are investigating other potential cases and performing contact tracing to determine the spread of the variant throughout the state.

CDC data says that more than 11.4 million doses of vaccine have been distributed and 2.1 million people had received a first dose as of last week.

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• Stay-at-Home Order tied to Dwindling Hospital Capacity Southern California’s dwindling intensive care capacity prompted state health officials to extend the region’s stay-at-home order, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Dec. 29. That means indoor spaces at restaurants, fitness centers and many other businesses and public sectors will stay closed.

New four-week projections, which are updated each day, predict that the ICU capacity in the Southern California hospitals will remain at or near 0 percent.

Experts predict that ICU capacity will not improve, and demand will continue to exceed capacity. •••

COVID-19 Hotline The Orange County Health Care Agency, which offers current guidance and tracks COVID-19 cases and fatalities, has a COVID-19 Hotline, (714) 834-2000, and email address, ETeam@ochca.com, to answer questions about industry reopening and activity resumption and more throughout the state.

COVID Vaccine Update

CDC data says that more than 11.4 million doses of vaccine have been distributed, and 2.1 million people had received a first dose as of last week.

A COVID-19 vaccine is a very important tool to help end the COVID-19 pandemic. Visit https://covid19.ca.gov/vaccines/ for information on the state’s plan for distribution in California.