DENVER — The City and County of Denver are now considered to be in the red level when it comes to transmission rates of COVID-19. According to the CDC as well as the city and county of Denver, there is a higher chance of community spread of the virus.
The Denver Department of Public Health & Environment (DDPHE) encourages people to wear a mask
- Wear a face-covering indoors
- Use a free at-home test to test for COVID-19 if you feel sick.
- Stay home if you’re sick
Masks are not required in any county, though some businesses may make that decision on their own. DDPHE encourages everyone to make the best decision for themselves.
With big events coming up such as the Avalanche games, watch parties and graduations, health experts say they don't expect to see too much of an increase in cases. Infectious Disease Specialist, Dr. Michelle Barron said.
"I don't know that those events are going to be more than graduation or all the parties that were going on already," Barron said.
People haven't received much guidance this time around when it comes to wearing a mask indoors, and Barron said now the goal is for everyone to assess their own situation and make decisions on that.
While cases rise, hospitalizations are staying at a lower level compared to what they were at the beginning of this year, Barron said.
"Vaccination is still very important, especially getting that booster," Barron said. "Boosters are huge to look at the difference to who gets really sick and ends up in the hospital versus those who don’t; the booster seems to be a defining difference between those groups.”
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