Saturday marks two years since what was then called the “novel coronavirus” was first discovered in Colorado. It’s been a long haul for everyone, but especially for the health care and public health workers on the front lines. For them, these past two years have essentially been a mass-casualty emergency that refuses to let up, […]
coronavirus deaths
Posted inBusiness, Economy, News
What’s Working: Colorado tops labor lists — even for restaurant workers
In recent weeks, my inbox has been full of bold claims by private companies and industry groups revealing Colorado as one of the top states for: Remote workers — #2 thanks to low-monthly utility bills and internet prices Lowest-paid veterinarians — #2 based on average vet pay vs. all occupations. Colorado pays vets an average […]
Posted inBusiness, Economy, News
We may never know how many of Colorado’s missing workers died of COVID-19
Some readers have asked more than once: How many workers in Colorado died of COVID-19? It’s a valid question for this column because, as previously reported, Colorado has fewer people in the labor force these days compared with April. We’re also still down from 2019. While it’s impossible to know the exact number without contacting […]
Posted inHealth, News
Unvaccinated staff at the center of federal investigation into rising nursing home deaths in Grand Junction
By Jason Dearen and Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, The Associated Press WASHINGTON — Lagging vaccination rates among nursing home staff are being linked to a national increase in COVID-19 infections and deaths at senior facilities, and are at the center of a federal investigation in a hard-hit Colorado location where disease detectives found many workers were not […]
Posted inCOVID, News
Colorado has the worst coronavirus case rate in the country as it ends most statewide restrictions
When Gov. Jared Polis walked to the lectern Friday to announce the effective end of Colorado’s statewide mask mandate, he did so with a smile uncovered for all to see. “This is a big step,” Polis said. “We’ve really reached a level of immunity where the pandemic isn’t over, but where we are safer.” But, […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Pritchett: You’re going to die. So now what are you going to do about it?
My position on death? I’m against it. That said, I will concede I lose that argument, and that moreover, my opinion has never even mattered. Die I will. And I am not alone in this — you will die, too. After all, death, darn it, just happens. Globally, about 65 million people die each year, […]
Posted inCOVID, News
13 charts that show how Colorado has fared during coronavirus
The coronavirus pandemic has been difficult not just because of its enormity but also because of its mystery. Now more than a year in, public health officials still find themselves surprised at some of the tricks that the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus that causes COVID-19 can pull. “We certainly haven’t seen any virus that behaves like this […]
Posted inColoradans, COVID, News, Politics and Government
For Indigenous rights activists in Colorado, coronavirus brought momentum and pushback
Tziavii Stevens was born in Denver, and grew up mostly on a reservation in Nevada. She was the only girl on the reservation with a Paiute name. Tziavii means “the wild rose.” Stevens didn’t grow up particularly politically engaged, but that changed when she went to her first protest in Pueblo at the age of […]
Posted inBusiness, Health, News
JBS meatpacking plant in Greeley shuts down so workers can get COVID-19 vaccine shots
GREELEY— A Colorado meatpacking plant that saw a deadly coronavirus outbreak last year suspended operations Friday so that workers could receive COVID-19 vaccines on-site. Workers at the JBS USA-owned plant received their shots in a temporary clinic set up in a hallway, The Greeley Tribune reported. More employees will be vaccinated Saturday in a partnership […]
Posted inCOVID, Health, News, Politics and Government
The behind-the-scenes story of being Gov. Jared Polis during Colorado’s coronavirus crisis
A little more than a month into Colorado’s battle with coronavirus, Gov. Jared Polis and his team reached the helpless realization that there was no end in sight. At that point, more than 8,000 people had tested positive for the disease and over 350 had died, including scores living in senior-care centers. The stay-at-home order […]