One of the leaders of the COVID-19 vaccination effort in Colorado on Monday tried to diminish the expectations of people, saying that many people in the age group 65 to 69 do not yet get the chance.
Government Jared Polis said late last week that age group, plus those who work directly with children in kindergartens up to 12 and child care workers will be eligible for the vaccine from 8 February. Currently, only health workers, first responders and people will be eligible. more than 70 are eligible.
About 39% of Colorado’s population over 70 received the first shot, Brigadier General Scott Sherman of the Colorado National Guard said at the news conference on Monday. The state will continue to prioritize people over 70, meaning about half of people in the age group 65 to 69 will likely have to wait until March for their first shot.
He did not specify how the state would see to it that its oldest residents go first, and asked that newly eligible people be patient and not report on multiple waiting lists. This directly contradicts the governor, who recently said he sees no problem getting on more than one list.
“It just holds an appointment that someone else can use,” Sherman said.
If vaccination continues as projected, by the end of February, the state will exceed the target of vaccinating at least 70% of people 70 and older, he said.
The vaccination of the most vulnerable groups will enable the state to change its criteria and restrictions, said dr. Eric France, chief medical officer of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, said. The framework seeks to standardize how many people can host a business or activity, based on new cases in each country, hospitalizations, and the percentage of tests that return positive.
The draft proposal, released on Saturday, will increase the number of cases a country can have before it is forced to adopt stronger restrictions. On the other hand, it will lower the percentage of tests that come back positive to cause more restrictions.
France said it may be possible to allow more business activities as health workers and people likely to be hospitalized are vaccinated.
In general, Colorado appears to be in a better place than most states, with the eighth lowest number of new cases compared to the population in U.S. hospitalizations, and new cases are still falling, Dr. Rachel Herlihy, state epidemiologist, said, though not as quickly. as they did after the peak in November.
The state laboratory has found 13 cases of the more contagious COVID-19 variant first reported in the UK, Herlihy said. They also detected three cases of a variant found in California, but it is not clear if the type of traits that make it more worrying than the original virus, she said.
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