Omicron In Colorado: 5 Cases Of Variant Confirmed, Evidence Of Community Spread Discovered

AURORA, Colo. (CBS4) - Gov. Jared Polis said on Thursday that there are now five confirmed cases of the omicron variant in Colorado. He led a news conference in Aurora in the morning and said health officials have identified community spread of the variant.

Polis was joined by Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman at the Aurora Municipal Center's COVID-19 vaccination clinic site, one of nine community vaccination clinics in the state where no appointment is necessary to get a vaccine. He said it's vital that people get COVID boosters to get protection against omicron.

"There is increased urgency to get the third vaccine, because from the preliminary data that has been presented to me, having three vaccines is absolutely critical to the high level of protection against the omicron variant," Polis said.

Of all the U.S. states, Colorado is currently ninth in the country in percentage of the population that has been boosted against COVID-19.

"But our whole country is lagging behind other countries in getting people successfully boosted," Polis said.

The confirmed omicron cases are in the following counties: Arapahoe County (2), Boulder, Jefferson and Garfield.

The number of hospitalizations in Colorado due to COVID has dropped.

That number fell to 1,227 on Wednesday -- down 43 from Tuesday. But 86% of those in the hospital with COVID are not vaccinated.

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