High winds disrupt Colorado's pandemic response

share

DENVER — Dangerously high winds across Colorado on Wednesday—nearly 100 miles per hour in some parts—caused power outages, traffic accidents, and downed trees. It also caused a disruption to the state's pandemic response.

Scores of COVID-19 vaccine and testing locations, as well as some monoclonal antibody treatment sites, had to close due to the wind and winter weather advisories.

Below is a full list compiled by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) of the affected sites.

Testing Sites

Closed:

  • 16th Street Mall, Denver
  • Aims Community College, Greeley
  • All City Stadium, Denver
  • Aurora Public Schools Professional Learning Office and Conference Center, Aurora
  • Centaurus High School, Lafayette
  • Chapman Park, Monte Vista
  • Clayton Early Learning Center, Denver
  • Clear Creek Valley Park, Arvada
  • Colorado School of Mines, Golden
  • Crossroads Community Center, Northglenn
  • Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Early College, Denver
  • Echo Park Stadium, Parker
  • Fort Lewis College, Durango
  • Fort Morgan - Lincoln Street, Fort Morgan
  • Fremont County DPHE, Cañon City 
  • Fruita 8/9 school, Fruita
  • George Washington High School, Denver
  • Instructional Support Facility, Aurora
  • Jefferson County Fairgrounds, Golden
  • Kunsmiller Creative Arts Academy, Denver
  • La Plata Fairgrounds, Durango
  • La Veta High School, La Veta
  • Lincoln County Public Health, Hugo
  • Littleton Park and Walk, Littleton
  • Our Lady Mother of the Church, Commerce City
  • Pagosa Springs Medical Center, Pagosa Springs
  • Red Rocks Community College, Lakewood
  • Riverdale Regional Park, Brighton
  • Rocky Mountain Prep, Denver
  • Saguache Community Building, Saguache
  • St. Vrain Valley School District Innovation Center, Longmont
  • SOAR Academy, Englewood
  • Southwest Plaza, Littleton
  • Walsenburg Train Depot, Walsenburg
  • Wiggins Community Church, Wiggins

 

All patients with appointments are being provided information about rescheduling. There still are several testing options for those who need it. More than 30 sites across the state, including 10 in the metro Denver area, remain open. They are free, convenient, and do not require identification or insurance. Visit covid19.colorado.gov/testing for a list of locations. 

 

Mobile Vaccine Clinics

Closed:

  • Bill Reed Elementary, Loveland
  • Centennial Elementary, Broomfield
  • Children's Hospital Colorado (North Campus), Broomfield
  • Children's Hospital Colorado (South Campus), Highlands Ranch
  • Durango Transit Center, Durango
  • English in Action parking lot, El Jebel
  • Kroenke Sports & Entertainment Ball Arena parking lot, Denver
  • Monarch Casino parking lot, Black Hawk
  • North Conejos School District parking lot, La Jara
  • North Railroad (parking lot off of East Main Street), Buena Vista
  • Olander Elementary School, Fort Collins
  • Tavelli Elementary, Fort Collins
  • Walmart Supercenter, Montrose
  • Ward Intermediate School (Crowley Middle School), Ordway 
  • Woodruff Memorial Library, La Junta

 

All patients who had appointments scheduled are being notified. For help finding or scheduling an alternate appointment, call 1-877-CO VAX CO (1-877-268-2926) or visit covid19.colorado.gov/vaccinefinder. 

 

Outdoor Community Vaccination Clinics

Closed:

  • Arapahoe Community College, Littleton
  • Aurora Municipal Center, Aurora
  • Chapel Hills Mall, Colorado Springs
  • Citadel Mall, Colorado Springs
  • Douglas County Fairgrounds, Castle Rock
  • La Plata County Fairgrounds, Durango

 

All patients who had appointments scheduled are being notified. For help finding or scheduling an alternate appointment, call 1-877-CO VAX CO (1-877-268-2926) or visit covid19.colorado.gov/vaccinefinder.

 

Mobile Monoclonal Antibody Clinics

Closed:

  • Alamosa, 97 Stadium Dr.
  • Canon City, 201 N 6th St.
  • Colorado Springs, 750 Citadel Dr.
  • Craig, 1111 W Victory Way
  • Denver, 5075 Lincoln St.
  • Durango, 2500 Main Ave.
  • Grand Junction, 2938 North Ave.
  • Trinidad, 412 Benedicta Ave.

 

CDPHE has contacted all patients with appointments scheduled directly to reschedule them for treatment. Alternate sites for monoclonal antibody treatments are listed at covid19.colorado.gov/treatments. For more information about monoclonal antibody treatments, call our hotline at 1-877-CO VAX CO (1-877-268-2926). The hotline is available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. MT.

To date, more than 4.1 million Coloradans have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. With the highly contagious Delta and Omicron variants responsible for nearly all cases in the U.S., public health officials say vaccines are more important than ever.

The first case of the Omicron variant in Colorado was detected December 2. The next day, another case was confirmed in Boulder.

Recent studies have found that the Omicron variant evades protections provided by the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines more easily than previous variants did.

"The antibodies that people make after they get the standard two inoculations of the Moderna mRNA vaccine are 50 times less effective against Omicron than they are against the original form of the virus," said David Montefiori, a virologist at Duke University who helped conduct one of the recent studies.

There was some good news in the studies, however: Booster shots appear to significantly strengthen protections against the Omicron variant. Early analysis also suggests Omicron causes less serious illness. Even so, Colorado hospitals are currently "in critical condition" and the anticipated spread of Omicron is not going to help.

To find a booster appointment near you, click the story below.

Kyle Cooke is the Digital Media Manager at Rocky Mountain PBS. You can reach him at kylecooke@rmpbs.org.

COVID-19 in Colorado