The governor will hold a 2:30 p.m. news conference with CDPHE Chief Medical Officer Eric France and others. Watch the briefing live here or the 9NEWS app.
DENVER — Colorado Gov. Jared Polis will give an update on the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccination efforts on Thursday afternoon.
Polis will be joined at the 2:30 p.m. news conference by:
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As of Wednesday, the seven-day COVID-19 positivity rate in Colorado was 8.9% and 93% of the state’s ICU beds were in use, according to CDPHE.
State Epidemiologist Dr. Rachel Herlihy said at a CDPHE briefing on Wednesday that the state has “a clear increase in cases statewide.”
RELATED: Colorado sees ‘clear increase’ of COVID cases, health officials say
The age group with the highest increase in cases is between 5 and 11 years old, Herlihy said.
On Tuesday, a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panel voted unanimously, with one abstention, to endorse kid-size doses of Pfizer’s shots for 5- to 11-year-olds. The panel said that the vaccine’s benefits in preventing COVID-19 in that age group outweigh any potential risks.
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In Colorado, public health leaders are working with local public health partners, pediatricians and health-care systems to prepare for this rollout.
After the FDA panel’s recommendation, Polis released a statement about what the recommendation means for the children and families of Colorado.
“Our youngest Coloradans will soon have a tool to protect themselves from this dangerous virus so they can enjoy in-person learning without fear and so they can safely visit their grandparents and friends,” he said. “Child COVID-related hospitalizations are preventable once kids have the ability to roll up their sleeves and get the life-saving vaccine.”
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