In a press conference on May 6, 2020, Governor Polis gave an update on masks and PPE supplies in the Colorado fight against COVID-19.

Polis began the conference by reminding viewers that the virus was circulating in Colorado unbeknownst to us, well before the first reported case in March, and went on to say that we can expect more cases in June and July in Colorado. Our goal, as always, it to make sure our hospitals remain under capacity so that every patient has a fighting chance, according to the governor.

As of right now, there are over 17,000 confirmed cases and officially 921 deaths from COVID-19 in Colorado. The growth rate of cases is 2% now that Colorado has access to more testing, and there has been a 0.3% growth rate in hospitalizations.

Polis also ran through the numbers for state-sourced supplies, including masks, gowns, and more. Here are those current numbers:

State supplies

  • 2,472,205 surgical masks
  • 116,065 face shields
  • 195,109 gowns
  • 1,640,100 gloves
  • 534,474 N95 masks

The majority of supplies head right to the front lines, as you would expect: 39.2% of personal protective equipment will go to first responders and 23.3% will go to hospitals.

Colorado also received two Battelle Sterilization Systems from FEMA, which will help to sterilize masks. These are officially operational, and the second system will begin operating in Montrose next week.

Colorado also received $7.9 million from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services in order to develop more telehealth capabilities in the state.

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