State moving to a new phase

Grocery, ag workers will go next, but more vaccine moves up access for everyone

Coloradans age 60 to 64 and people with two or more chronic health conditions will be able to get their COVID-19 vaccines starting March 5, but essential workers in fields other than agriculture and grocery stores will have to wait longer than anticipated.

Gov. Jared Polis announced Friday that the state would change its vaccine priorities once again, creating a new Phase 1B.4, which is scheduled to start around March 21.

He also moved up the timeline for when the general public can expect to begin getting access to COVID-19 vaccines, from summer to late April or early May.

“We approached this in a way that tries to save the most lives, and is equitable and ends the pandemic,” Polis said during a news conference.

The delay in vaccinating essential workers is necessary because of supply constraints with the COVID-19 vaccines, officials said. About 1 million people will be in Phase 1B.3, and 2.5 million will become eligible in Phase 1B.4.

The previous plan would have allowed essential workers and people with two or more qualifying conditions to get the vaccine in Phase 1B.3, which will start March 5. Those with two chronic conditions still will be eligible, as will people who are 60 or older

and frontline workers in grocery stores or agriculture.

Healthy people ages 60 to 64 previously had been in Phase 2. The changes announced Friday eliminate the old Phase 2, shifting the general public — which had been Phase 3 — to a new Phase 2, now the final stage of the state’s vaccine plan.

The newly created Phase 1B.4 will include people 50 and older; student-facing higher-education faculty members and staff members; frontline essential workers in restaurants, public transit and more; faith leaders; frontline journalists; people with one high-risk health condition; and more.

Previously, healthy people who are 50 to 59 were included with the general public. Polis said it’s possible the state could divide the general public by age, if there aren’t enough doses to open it to everyone who is 16 or older. For example, people in their 40s might become eligible in April or May, with younger adults waiting a few more weeks, he said.

“This is the last complicated tiering,” Polis said.

University of Colorado Denver Chancellor Michelle Marks released a statement thanking Polis for moving college professors and student-facing staffers into phase 1B.4. Previously, it wasn’t clear when they would qualify.

“The sooner that highereducation employees are vaccinated, the sooner we can expand our students’ in-person learning experience. This, in turn, helps to boost our state’s economy and workforce,” she said.

“You will have your turn”

The state is on track to meet the goal of vaccinating 70% of people 70 and older by Sunday and threequarters of student-facing staffers in K-12 schools by March 5, Polis said.

The plan assumes that the Food and Drug Administration will issue an emergency-use authorization for Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine this weekend, said Colorado National Guard Brigadier Gen. Scott Sherman, who is leading the state’s distribution effort. If that happens, Colorado could receive about 45,000 doses of the new vaccine next week, he said.

The state is working on setting up six mass vaccination sites, including one at Denver’s Ball Arena, in the coming weeks, Sherman said. He urged patience, because a large group will be seeking the vaccine in the next few weeks.

“You will have your turn to get a vaccine,” he said.

Agriculture and grocery store workers will get their shots through their employers, while people who qualify because of age or health conditions should sign up with a nearby health system or pharmacy, COVID-19 incident commander Scott Bookman said.

Providers won’t require proof of health status or age, although people seeking the vaccine will have to sign a form stating they qualify.

Frequently changing priorities

The state has changed its categories repeatedly since vaccine distribution began in December.

Frontline health care workers and nursing home residents were always the top priority, in Phase 1A, with essential workers and people 70 and older following in Phase 1B. In early January, essential workers moved below a “dotted line” in Phase 1B, behind people over 70.

The frequent changes have been particularly difficult for small employers, said Lorna McLean-Thomas, program administrator for WeeCycle, which runs a diaper and formula bank that serves families directly. She said she hasn’t been able to get a clear answer about when their employees who work directly with the public can be vaccinated, and she worries someone will get sick because she can’t arrange for them to get the shot.

“Families routinely come to get items from us when they are sick. If they are signed off work, the needs of their babies and toddlers don’t stop,” she said.

The priorities changed again in late January, allowing teachers, child care workers and people 65 and older to go next. For some essential workers, such as those in transit or human services, Friday’s announcement marks the third time that someone else moved ahead of them.

The latest COVID-19 modeling report from the Colorado School of Public Health, released Friday, showed substantial improvement compared with the fall peak but also raised warning flags. The report estimated about one of every 194 people in Colorado is currently contagious, which is higher than last week. It also estimated that people were loosening their transmission control behaviors somewhat, which increases the risk that new cases will grow again.

If the current trend continues, the model estimates Colorado could return to summer levels of hospitalizations in April. Hospitalizations could start to increase again if people further loosen their precautions, particularly if a more-contagious version of the virus becomes widespread in Colorado.

Polis raised concerns about a possible increase in cases but declined to commit to extending the order requiring masks in public places, which expires March 6. He urged everyone to continue wearing masks and socializing only with those they live with. He asked those who have symptoms to get tested.

“We know how to lick this thing,” he said. “Let’s not let up now.”