COVID In Colorado: Health Experts Hopeful Despite New Wave Of Hospitalizations

DENVER (CBS4) - Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment officials know the state is entering a so-called fourth wave of COVID-19 infections. State data shows there are 469 COVID-19 hospitalizations, an increase of 140 since the beginning of April.

On April 12, there were 429 hospitalizations, the largest number in the state since Feb. 18.

The state also reported more than 2,300 new COVID-19 cases on April 14.

Despite the increases, health experts say this wave will be different because Colorado's most vulnerable populations are now protected.

"We're going to focus a little bit more on the severity of cases in hospital admissions perhaps more so than we did at the beginning. We know now that 150 cases is not the same as 150 cases early on, when those cases were primarily within our elderly population. We know that it's a younger demographic now where we're seeing an increase in cases and also medical treatment is better," said Bob McDonald, Executive Director of the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment.

McDonald says Coloradans should still be cautious, and local governments should gradually reopen to prevent a huge surge in cases.

CDPHE updates COVID-19 data each day at covid19.colorado.gov/data.