3 more Colorado schools report COVID-19 outbreaks; cluster linked to Cameron Peak fire response

Three more K-12 schools in Colorado have reported outbreaks of the new coronavirus, with a handful of cases in staff and students.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment also reported the first cluster linked to fighting the state’s wildfires on Wednesday. Four people involved in responding to the Cameron Peak fire tested positive for COVID-19. The state hasn’t released information about what kind of work the four did.

The new school clusters brought the total to four K-12 buildings in Colorado with reported outbreaks. Other schools have reported cases, but the state health department only declares an outbreak if at least two cases are believed to come from being in the same location within two weeks. Students and staff who test positive on the first day aren’t counted as an outbreak, unless there’s evidence of some out-of-school link they shared.

Sand Creek Elementary School, in Highlands Ranch, reported one staff member and two students had tested positive as of Wednesday.

The other two new outbreaks were in Monument. Bear Creek Elementary School reported one staff case and two student cases, while Monument Academy reported one case in a staff member and one in a student.

Battle Mountain High School’s outbreak is still considered ongoing, but no new cases have been reported since last week, when two staff members tested positive. CDPHE doesn’t consider an outbreak over until four weeks have passed with no new cases linked to linked to a location or event.

One previously reported outbreak, at Compass Montessori in Jefferson County, was reclassified as a child care center instead of a school. No new cases have been reported since last week, when the state said two staff members had tested positive.

Outbreaks have popped up in 16 other child care facilities, and 10 are still ongoing. No deaths have been linked to those facilities.

Only one university outbreak is considered ongoing. Colorado College has reported 14 confirmed or suspected cases among students, and none among staff. Outbreaks linked to athletic programs at Colorado State University, University of Northern Colorado and University of Colorado have been resolved, as have clusters among CSU fraternity members and University of Denver staff.

The largest outbreaks in the state remained mostly unchanged this week, though the cluster among Denver’s homeless population did climb to the fifth-highest spot. Initially, the state reported outbreaks in homeless shelters separately, but officials changed the counting method as it became clear that the shelters’ clients often sought help in multiple places where the virus was spreading.

The largest outbreaks were:

• Sterling Correctional Facility: 611 cases, three deaths (three new cases since last week)
• Van Cise-Simonet Detention Center, Denver: 568 cases, no deaths (16 new cases)
• JBS meatpacking plant, Greeley: 293 cases, six deaths (no new cases)
• Buena Vista Correctional Complex: 212 cases, no deaths (no new cases)
• People experiencing homelessness, Denver: 156 cases, no deaths (15 new cases)
• Pikes Peak Center nursing home, Colorado Springs: 146 cases, 26 deaths (no new cases)
• Steven Roberts Original Desserts, Aurora: 139 cases, one death (one new case)
• Elms Haven Center, Thornton: 104 cases, seven deaths (44 new cases and two new deaths)
• Laurel Manor Care Center, Colorado Springs: 86 cases, 14 deaths (no new cases)
• Denver County Jail: 83 cases, no deaths (one new case)

The counts include both confirmed and probable cases, for consistency. At the beginning of the outbreak, shortages made it difficult to test everyone who had symptoms of the new coronavirus.

For more information, visit covid19.colorado.gov/data.

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