Colorado Delta Variant Cases More Than Double In 2 Weeks

Colorado public health officials continue to investigate the spread of the Delta variant, which was first detected in India in December 2020. Cases of the variant in our state have more than doubled over the past two weeks, according to public health data.

More than 1,200 cases of the variant have been reported in 39 Colorado counties.

Early studies show the Delta variant is more infectious and causes more severe disease — it has around double the hospitalization rate of the Alpha variant, Colorado public health officials said.

The coronavirus vaccine is effective against the Delta variant, particularly two weeks after both doses are received, Colorado public health officials said.

The Delta variant has hit Mesa County the hardest — more than 550 cases have been reported in the county, the data shows.

Delta variant cases reported in each county:

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• Mesa: 552
• El Paso: 258
• Garfield: 75
• Moffat: 64
• Arapahoe: 34
• Jefferson: 31
• Douglas: 29
• Adams: 22
• Boulder: 20
• Pueblo: 19
• Conejos: 18
• Denver: 18
• Weld: 18
• Larimer: 17
• Montrose: 14
• Fremont: 13
• Rio Blanco: 12
• Delta: 11
• Archuleta: 7
• Gunnison: 7
• La Plata: 6
• Las Animas: 4
• Routt: 4
• Saguache: 4
• San Miguel: 4
• Eagle: 3
• Teller: 3
• Montezuma: 2
• Alamosa: 1
• Bent: 1
• Broomfield: 1
• Elbert: 1
• Gilpin: 1
• Grand: 1
• Logan: 1
• Otero: 1
• Pitkin: 1
• Sedgwick: 1
• Summit: 1

Dr. Rachel Herlihy, state epidemiologist with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, and Gov. Jared Polis held a roundtable with local officials in Grand Junction in late June to discuss the spread of the Delta variant. State public health officials and a CDC team traveled to Mesa County to investigate the spread and offer technical support.