Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Colorado

Rocky Mountain Public Media is collecting resources to help you stay informed.

Bookmark this page for easy access to updated information.

For definitive public health information, please visit:

Safer at Home guidelines (State of Colorado)

• Safer at Home FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
  

Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE): COVID-19

• ​What to do if you were exposed to COVID-19​
• COVID-19 Facts for Coloradans
• COVID-19 testing​
• Frequently Asked Questions​​
  

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): COVID-19

• symptoms
• prevention and treatment
• what to do if you are sick
• how the virus spreads

Help Colorado Now:

Coloradans can donate or volunteer, as well as the Colorado COVID Relief Fund, which has already raised nearly $3 million to help Coloradans impacted by the coronavirus. Coloradans can donate or sign up to volunteer at helpcoloradonow.org.

☎️ CO-HELP is Colorado’s call line for coronavirus:

People who have general questions about COVID-19 can call CO HELP at 303-389-1687 or 1-877-462-2911, for answers in many languages, or email them at COHELP@RMPDC.org for answers in English.

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CDPHE provides daily updates, around 4pm, on positive coronavirus cases broken down by county and additional demographics.

View daily testing data at https://covid19.colorado.gov/data.

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Colorado health care providers:

• UCDenver: Concerned about coronavirus? Virtual Urgent Care provides safe, affordable, 24/7 option to get care.
• UCDenver: Coronavirus anxiety: Why the outbreak feeds worries and five simple ways to reduce coronavirus anxiety
• National Jewish Health: Coronavirus: Information & Resources
• Children's Hospital Colorado: Parents’ Top Questions About COVID-19​
• Kaiser Permanente: Novel coronavirus/COVID-19

Unemployment:
OnwardCO is a new one-stop resource for the people of Colorado impacted by job loss during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Work-Share Program:

The Work-Share Program, for businesses, provides an alternative to laying off employees by allowing them to keep working, but with fewer hours. While an employee is working fewer hours, he or she may be eligible to collect part of his or her regular unemployment benefits.

Here are the requirements according to the CDLE:

• You must have reduced the normal weekly work hours by at least 10%, but by no more than 40%
• The reduction must affect at least two out of all employees in the business, or a minimum of two employees in a certain unit.
• You must have paid as much in premiums as CDLE paid your former employees in unemployment insurance benefits

Businesses: learn more about the program and eligibility

Getting school meals while schools are closed:

Colorado received a waiver from the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture that allows students to take meals away from meal sites to be consumed elsewhere, allowing for social distancing. The goal of these alternative meal services is to provide meals to children while limiting interaction and proximity to other schoolmates and, therefore, decreasing the risk of COVID-19 exposure.

Families are encouraged to check with their local school district for the school meal sites available in their communities.

Additionally, households that qualify can receive USDA Food packages through USDA Foods household programs.

Housing and shelter resources:

If you're unsure if you'll be able to continue making rent or mortgage payments, there are a variety of assistance programs, many of which are locally run.
Find a program in your area. Remember, these places are likely to be experiencing a high number of inquiries, so be patient.

Temporary job or volunteer opportunities:

• New temporary jobs and volunteer opportunities will be listed on the state’s website.
• King Soopers, Safeway, Albertsons, and Amazon are hiring in an effort to keep up with the demand. There are more than 1,000 immediate openings at Safeway and Albertsons stores in the Denver Division’s five-state region. The Albertsons Safeway Distribution Center in Denver is also hiring commercial truck drivers and warehouse order selectors. View employment information
• The Post Office is hiring about 200 people. The Postal Service is an essential service for purposes of its compliance with state or municipality shelter-in-place orders or other social distancing restrictions. Positions are available throughout the state. Visit usps.com/careers for more information.

Food/Nutrition:

• Care and Share Food Bank for Southern Colorado
• Community Food Share (Boulder & Broomfield Counties)
• Feeding Colorado
• Food Bank for Larimer County
• Food Bank of the Rockies (Metro Denver, Western Slope, and parts of northern Colorado)
• Denver Food Pantries
• Hunger Free Colorado
• Denver Human Service's SNAP Into Health
• Volunteers of America Meals on Wheels and more.
• TEFAP: The Emergency Food Assistance Program For public or private nonprofit organizations as well as individuals.
• Weld Food Bank
• WIC (Women, Infants, and Children)

Health Care:

• Colorado Coalition for the Homeless Healthcare
• Inner City Healthcare
• Denver Health
• Colorado Division of Aging and Adult Services Information and referral, financial and medical support, affordable housing, employment, nutrition, advocacy, legal, transportation and more.
• Colorado's Child Health Plan Plus A low-cost health insurance program for uninsured Colorado children ages 18 and under whose families earn or own too much to qualify for Medicaid but cannot afford private insurance.

Additional services:

• Energy Outreach Colorado Provides home energy assistance to low-income Coloradans.
• LEAP Short-term, temporary financial assistance to help low-income Colorado residents pay winter home heating costs.
• Senior Support Services Denver's only day center catering to the needs of the hungry and homeless seniors in the Denver area. Clients get meals, emergency food and clothing, individualized case management, medical care, housing, government benefits, socialization, and activities.
• Denver Human Services Denver Human Services provides both assistance services and protection and prevention services to Denver’s most vulnerable residents. Assistance programs are provided to eligible Denver residents in financial need and include federal food, cash and medical benefits, as well as child care, child support, energy, rental and burial assistance, all designed to help families and individuals toward financial self-sufficiency.

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