Colorado revised the state’s coronavirus death tally to 674 on Friday as health officials gather information on fatalities from weeks past that are linked to the disease but had been uncounted.
The new total — up more than 100 from Thursday — pushed the number of fatalities in both Denver and Arapahoe County above 120.
It also shows that the number of deaths from COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, is much than previously known in Chaffee County, the mountain county with Salida as its seat. Public health officials said 13 deaths there are linked to the virus, up from a handful that were previously known. Chaffee County’s population is about 20,000 people.
The deaths include 551 people with confirmed cases of the disease and 121 with probable infections, according to Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
The number of confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus reported by the state also rose dramatically on Friday to more than 12,250, up more than 1,000 from the day before.
The increase is not related to a spike in fatalities as only a handful of deaths have been reported in the past three days. State public health officials this week have been reviewing death certificates to tally coronavirus fatalities, which was expected to quickly increase Colorado’s death count.
“These are not real spikes for today,” Gov. Jared Polis told reporters on Friday. “They are deaths during the whole period that we just found and are reporting and they are cases from one to two weeks ago that are finally being reported by a private lab.”
COVID-19 IN COLORADO
The latest from the coronavirus outbreak in Colorado:
- MAP: Cases and deaths in Colorado.
- TESTING: Here’s where to find a community testing site. The state is now encouraging anyone with symptoms to get tested.
- VACCINE HOTLINE: Get up-to-date information.
The deaths by county are:
- Denver County – 128
- Arapahoe County – 125
- Weld County – 82
- El Paso County – 72
- Jefferson County – 61
- Adams County – 57
- Boulder County – 28
- Douglas County – 19
- Larimer County – 18
- Chaffee County – 13
- Montrose County – 9
- Pueblo County – 9
- Morgan County – 8
- Eagle County – 7
- Broomfield County – 5
- Gunnison County – 4
- Routt County – 4
- Pitkin County – 3
- Teller County – 2
- Kit Carson County – 2
- Out of state – 2
- Montezuma – 2
- Garfield County – 2
- Alamosa County – 2
- Unknown county of residence – 2
- Summit County – 1
- Ouray County – 1
- Logan County – 1
- Otero County — 1
- Elbert County – 1
- Delta County – 1
- Crowley County – 1
- Clear Creek County – 1
Hospitalizations of people with confirmed cases of coronavirus in Colorado remain relatively flat at 866. Another 218 people are hospitalized with illnesses that are under investigation for being linked to the disease.
As of Friday, 429 of the state’s 1,090 critical care ventilators were in use.