Denver Coronavirus Update: 3,001 Cases, Death Toll Up To 154

DENVER — As of Thursday afternoon, 3,001 people have been infected with the new coronavirus in Denver since the outbreak began, health officials confirmed. The city's death toll has reached 154.

Denver Mayor Michael Hancock is expected to announce a mask mandate next week, he said during an interview Thursday morning. He said Denverites "will have to get used to wearing masks for the foreseeable future."

Denver's stay-at-home order has been extended through May 8, but is unlikely to be extended further, Hancock told Denver7.

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The data company SafeGraph posted a report that shows the percent of people staying home in each county, and the study shows that Denver is ranked No. 6 in the state for compliance.

Colorado's statewide stay-at-home order ended Sunday, and the 'safer-at-home' executive order took effect Monday.

Denver officials will be analyzing the statewide safer-at-home strategy to develop a phased re-opening plan for May 9, Mayor Michael Hancock said in a news conference Friday.

"Our priority is to keep our residents safe and to save lives," Hancock said. "This virus is not going away and we need to be prepared for the long-term impacts. With the state's guidance, and by taking extra time to be thoughtful and deliberate, we want to ensure that we will have adequate contact tracing and testing capability, and the time to provide the guidance that our residents and business community need to re-open safely."

The extension of the order will give the city time to train staff in COVID-19 case management, contact tracing and monitoring, case investigations and the enforcement of quarantine orders, health officials said.

The extension will also give the city more time to secure additional personal protective equipment and tests. Denver's goal is to boost testing up to 1,000 per day.

"We can rebuild the economy," Hancock said. "What we can't do is replace lives lost."

According to government data posted Thursday afternoon, 15,284 people have been infected with the new coronavirus in Colorado among 72,390 people who have been tested since the outbreak began. Around 2,697 people have been hospitalized, and the death toll has reached 777.

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