>>>
>>> WE
>>> WE ARE SEEING A LEVELING OFF OF PEOPLE ADMITTED TO
HOSPITALS.
HOSPITALS. >> SIGNS OF ENCOURAGEMENT IN
COLORADO'S BATTLE AGAINST COVID-
19.
19.
19. THE
19. THE NUMBER OF HOSPITALIZATIONS
IS SLOWING AND SO IS THE NUMBER
OF NEW CASES IN DENVER.
>> STILL THERE ARE HOT SPOTS IN
NURSING HOMES WHERE DOZENS OF
PEOPLE HAVE DIED.
THE STATE IS REPORTING 72
OUTBREAKS AT RESIDENTIAL AND
HEALTH CARE FACILITIES THAT ARE
NOT HOSPITALS.
NOT HOSPITALS. THAT INCLUDES 22 DEATHS AT
CENTENNIAL HEALTH CARE CENTER
IN GREELEY, 17 ARE CONFIRMED
CORONAVIRUS DEATHS, 32
RESIDENTS HAVE TESTED POSITIVE.
>>> HERE IS 9WANTS TO KNOW
INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER JEREMY
JOJOLA.
JOJOLA.
JOJOLA. >> Reporter: THE AVERAGE AGE OF
A COLORADO NURSING HOME
RESIDENT IS 85 YEARS OLD O. ADD
THAT TO THE FACT THESE PLACES
ARE FULL OF PEOPLE WITH
UNDERLINING HEALTH PROBLEMS AND
WHO LIVE IN CLOSE PROXIMITY.
IT'S A PERFECT COMBINATION OF
THE PANDEMIC TO HIT HARD.
>> THEY ARE.
THIS IS A VIRUS THAT WILL
DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECT
DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECT PEOPLE WHO ARE OLDER, PEOPLE
WHO HAVE MORE IDENTITIES.
AND IT IS A REAL TOUGH
POPULATION TO KEEP SAFE, BUT WE
ARE COMMITTED TO DOING
EVERYTHING WE CAN TO DO SO.
>> Reporter: AT THE CHERRY
CREEK NURSING HOME IN AURORA,
THERE HAVE BEEN 19 DEATHS.
DOCUMENTS REVIEWED BY 9WANTS TO
KNOW SHOWS THE STATE CITED THE
FACILITY TWICE LAST YEAR BEFORE
COVID-19 CAME TO COLORADO.
ONE FOR BAD HAND WASHING WHEN A
NURSE DID NOT PERFORM HAND
HYGIENE.
HYGIENE.
HYGIENE. ANOTHER CITATION FOR FAILING TO
CLEAN BATHROOMS PROPERLY TO
MAINTAIN A SANITARY
ENVIRONMENT.
ENVIRONMENT. THE STATE FOUND THE PROBLEMS
WERE FIXED IN FOLLOW-UP VISITS.
AT JUNIPER VILLAGE IN AURORA,
70% OF THE PEOPLE HERE
INCLUDING STAFF AND RESIDENTS
HAVE TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-
19.
19.
19. THE
19. THE FACILITY HAS REPORTED EIGHT
DEATHS.
DEATHS.
DEATHS. EARLIER THIS MONTH STATE
INSPECTORS VISITED JUNIPER
AFTER SOMEONE FILED A FORMAL
COMPLAINT.
COMPLAINT. THE STATE SAYS IT'S WORKING
WITH THE PREVENTION AND USE OF
PPEs.
PPEs.
PPEs. THAT COMPLAINT IS STILL
UNDERINVESTIGATION.
UNDERINVESTIGATION. >> WE HAVE A TASK FORCE ANY
TIME WE HAVE AN OUTBREAK.
WE SEND RESOURCES TO SUPPORT
THOSE FACILITIES THE BEST WE
CAN.
CAN.
CAN. THESE ARE JUST REALLY, REALLY
DIFFICULT THINGS TO STOP ONCE
THEY START.
THEY START. >> Reporter: GOVERNOR JARED
POLIS RESTRICTED NON-ESSENTIAL
VISITS TO NURSING HOMES IN MID-
MARCH.
MARCH.
MARCH. THEY'RE ALSO BEING ASKED TO
FOLLOW NEW GUIDELINES LIKE
SCREENING PEOPLE FOR A FEVER.
WE ASKED THE GOVERNOR IF THE
STATE IS WATCHING NURSING HOMES
ENOUGH.
ENOUGH.
ENOUGH. >> WE DON'T HAVE SPECIFIC
INFORMATION THAT THEY WERE NOT
FOLLOWING RULES OR VIOLATING
THE GUIDANCE, BUT WE DO WANT TO
UP THE BAR ON MAKING SURE THEY
ARE FOLLOWING THE GUIDANCE AND
THEY ARE LIMITING VISITATION,
THAT THEY ARE CHECKING THE
STAFF AS THEY COME TO WORK FOR
TEMPERATURES AND SYMPTOMS.
WE EXPECT TO WORK WITH THEM TO
STAND TESTING.
STAND TESTING. >> Reporter: JEREMY JOJOLA
9NEWS.
>>>
>>> A
>>> A SPOKESPERSON FOR CHERRY CREEK NURSING NOTED THEIR
VIOLATIONS WILL HAPPEN BEFORE
COVID-19 CAME TO COLORADO.
WE HAVE NOT YET HEARD BACK FROM
THE COMPANY THAT FUNDS JUNIPER
VILLAGE.
VILLAGE.
VILLAGE. >>> AND THERE ARE MORE CASES OF
COVID-19 AMONG COLORADO'S
MINORITIES.
MINORITIES. THE STATE'S HEALTH DEPARTMENT
ANNOUNCED AN INITIAL BREAKDOWN
OF RACIAL AND ETHNIC DATA
TODAY, SHOWING THEIR CASES ARE
STATISTICALLY HIGHER.
STATISTICALLY HIGHER. GOVERNOR POLIS SAYS HE EXPECTS
TO HAVE MORE EXACT DATA WITHIN
A FEW DAYS INCLUDING SOME
ACTUAL DISCHARGE DATA AS WELL.
HE ALSO EXPRESSED SOME SIGNS OF
OPTIMISM REGARDING THE STAY-AT-
HOME EFFORT AND SOCIAL
DISTANCING.
DISTANCING. THE LATEST NUMBERS WILL SHOW
CORONAVIRUS HAS KILLED 308
PEOPLE IN OUR STATE.
THERE ARE ALMOST 7,700 CASES
AND 1,500 PEOPLE ARE
HOSPITALIZED AND CLOSE TO
39,000 HAVE BEEN TESTED.
CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC.
CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC. THAT IS HOW DENVER'S DEPARTMENT
OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND
ENVIRONMENT IS VIEWING THE
EFFORTS REGARDING THE COVID-19
PANDEMIC.
PANDEMIC.
PANDEMIC. >> FOR THE LAST THREE WEEKS
SINCE THE LAST WEEK OF MARCH
ACTUALLY, WE HAD SEEN JUST A
LEVELING OFF IN THE NUMBER OF
CASES.
CASES.
CASES. >>
CASES. >> BUT THE CITY CONTINUED
SUCCESS AND IT WILL ONLY COME
AS PEOPLE WILL CONTINUE TO STAY
HOME.
HOME.
HOME. 9NEWS REPORTER KATIE EASTMAN
EXPLAINS A STEP CITY LEADERS
WILL CONSIDER NECESSARY BEFORE
THIS ORDER IS LIFTED OR
RELAXED.
RELAXED.
RELAXED. >> Reporter: AS DENVER BEGINS
TO THINK WHAT'S NEXT, THE
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND
ENVIRONMENT SAYS THEY WILL
REINSTATE CONTRACT TRACING.
>> WE ARE ABSOLUTELY PREPARING
FOR THAT.
FOR THAT.
FOR THAT. >> Reporter: IDENTIFYING PEOPLE
WHO HAD CLOSE CONTACT WITH
INFECTED PATIENTS.
INFECTED PATIENTS. PUBLIC HEALTH EXPERTS WILL CALL
PEOPLE WHO HAVE COVID-19 TO
FIND OUT WHERE THEY HAVE BEEN.
THEN THEY TRY TO GET IN TOUCH
WITH PEOPLE THEY'VE HAD CONTACT
WITH.
WITH.
WITH. DENVER STOPPED USING CONTACT
TRACING WHEN THE SOURCE OF
CASES IN THE COMMUNITY BECAME
UNKNOWN.
UNKNOWN.
UNKNOWN. OTHER COUNTRIES BEGAN TO USE
GPS TRACKING TECHNOLOGY TO FIND
THE SOURCE.
THE SOURCE. SINGAPORE CREATED AN APP CALLED
TRACE TOGETHER.
TRACE TOGETHER. SOUTH KOREA MADE A PUBLIC
WEBSITE SHOWING PREVIOUS
LOCATIONS OF INFECTED PATIENTS.
AND CHINA RELIED ON MASS
SURVEILLANCE OF PHONES.
IN THE UNITED STATES THESE
PRACTICES WOULD LIKELY GO
AGAINST PRIVACY LAWS.
APPLE AND GOOGLE PLAN TO LAUNCH
A VOLUNTARY BLUETOOTH CONTACT
TRACING PROGRAM ON IOS AND
ANDROID PHONES.
ANDROID PHONES. IT WOULD WORK BY PICKING UP
SIGNALS FROM NEARBY PHONES AND
STORING THEM IN A DATA BASE TO
BE USED LATER.
>> BUT THAT CONTACT TRACING IS
CRITICAL FOR US, TO KIND OF
UNDERSTAND HOW DEEP AND FAR
THIS WILL GO AND TO HELP US
BETTER PREDICT WHETHER OR NOT
WE'LL HAVE A SPIKE AND IF
INDEED WE ARE SEEING THE
LEVELING OFF.
LEVELING OFF. UNTIL ALL OF THAT IS ACTUALLY
IF PLACE AND THEY ARE
SYNCHRONIZED, THEN IT IS NOT
REALLY PRACTICAL FOR US TO EVEN
LOOK AND SAY WE CAN DATE FOR
CERTAIN TO LIFT THIS.
>> Reporter: KATIE EASTMAN
9NEWS.
9NEWS.
9NEWS. >>> DENVER LEADERS SAY THEY
CANNOT BEGIN THAT CONTACT
TRACING UNTIL THERE ARE FEWER
CASES OUT THERE.
ALSO BECAUSE OF THE HIT THE
ECONOMY HAS TAKEN, THEY CAN'T
HIRE ANYONE TO HELP WITH THE
CONTACT TRACING.
CONTACT TRACING. THEY WILL HAVE TO RELY ON
VOLUNTEERS TO MAKE SOME OF THE
PHONE CALLS.
PHONE CALLS. >>> DENVER CITY COUNCIL IS
ASKING GOVERNOR JARED POLIS TO
SUSPEND RENT PAYMENTS.
SOMETHING HE HAS REPEATEDLY
INSISTED HE DOES NOT HAVE THE
POWER TO DO.
TONIGHT DENVER CITY COUNCIL
VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO URGE THE
GOVERNOR TO USE HIS EMERGENCY
POWERS TO SUSPEND RENT PAYMENTS
FOR STRUGGLING HOMEOWNERS AND
SMALL BUSINESSES.
SMALL BUSINESSES. THE GOVERNOR SAID TODAY HE
COULD NOT VIOLATE CONTRACT LAWS
BY DOING THAT.
INSTEAD HE ENCOURAGED CITIES TO
OFFER MORE ASSISTANCE TO PEOPLE
WHO HAVE TROUBLE PAYING THEIR
BILLS.
BILLS.
BILLS. >>> THE JBS MEATPACKING PLANT
IN GREELEY HAS BEEN ORDERED BY
HEALTH OFFICIALS TO CLOSE FOR
SEVERAL WEEKS FOLLOWING AN
OUTBREAK AT THAT PLANT.
SOME JBS WORKERS DESCRIBED IT
AS A WORK WHILE SICK CULTURE.
TONIGHT OUR RYAN HAARER
EXPLAINED WHAT THERE TAKE TO
REOPEN THAT PIECE OF COLORADO
FOOD SUPPLY.
FOOD SUPPLY. >> Reporter: THE PLANT HAS
6,000 EMPLOYEES.
6,000 EMPLOYEES. THEY'VE BEEN OPEN DURING THE
STAY-AT-HOME ORDER.
STAY-AT-HOME ORDER. WHILE MUCH OF THE STATE WILL
HONKER DOWN, EMPLOYEES THERE
SHOWED UP.
SHOWED UP. THAT IS UNTIL THIS WEEKEND.
JPS WAS TOLD IN A LETTER THAT
IT HAS IDENTIFIED 277 EMPLOYEES
OR THEIR DEPENDENCE WHO HAVE
GONE ON AN EMERGENCY ROOM OR
CLINIC WITH COVID-19 SYMPTOMS
IN THE LAST SIX WEEKS.
HOSPITAL VISITS BY THE JBS
WORKERS CLIMBED UP TO TEN A
DAY.
DAY.
DAY. >>>
DAY. >>> 43 WORKERS HAVE BEEN
CONFIRMED POSITIVE.
CONFIRMED POSITIVE. THE MEN WERE 78, 60 YEARS OLD.
THEY GO ON TO SAY SOME INFECTED
WORKERS DESCRIBE A, "WORK WHILE
SICK.
SICK.
SICK. SOUP VISIERS ARE SHOWING UP
ILL.
ILL.
ILL. GIVEN THE NUMBERS, GOVERNOR
JARED POLIS WEIGHED IN TODAY.
>> THERE BE A SANITATION OF THE
PLANT AND LIMITED WORK
HAPPENING WITH LIMITED STAFF
WEARING PPE, BUT NOT AT
CAPACITY UNTIL WE COULD WORK
HARD AND MAKE AS SOON AS
POSSIBLE.
POSSIBLE.
POSSIBLE. >> THEY WILL PAY THEIR WORKERS
DURING THE CLOSURE.
JBS WON'T BE TESTING EMPLOYEES
FOR COVID-19, BUT WANTS THEM TO
QUARANTINE INSTEAD.
QUARANTINE INSTEAD. SOME WORKERS WILL SHOW UP FOR
THE NEARLY TWO-WEAR CLOSURE.
I'M RYAN HAARER 9NEWS.
>>> THE CEC SAYS THERE IS NO
EVIDENCE COVID-19 IS
TRANSMITTED THROUGH FOOD.
THEY DO SAY PEOPLE NEED TO BE
CAREFUL ABOUT HANDLING PACKAGES
AND CONTAINERS THAT COME INTO
THEIR HOMES, THE REASON WHY
THEY ASK YOU TO COOK YOUR FOODS
AND WASH YOUR HANDS AFTER
HANDLING STUFF.
HANDLING STUFF. >>> AURORA IS REMEMBERING A MAN
WHO WAS KNOWN FOR HIS BIG HEART
AND ALWAYS HELPING OTHERS.
THE FAMILIES OF MILTON THOMAS
SAID HE DIED DUE TO COVID-19.
>> HE WAS A PERSON WHO NEEDED A
HAND UP.
HAND UP.
HAND UP. >> PASTOR THOMAS REALLY WORKED
TO BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN THE
CITY, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT,
AND CITIZENS.
AND CITIZENS. HE ORGANIZED SHOP WITH A COP
WHERE OFFICERS PAID FOR GIFTS
FOR FAMILIES IN NEED.
HIS FRIENDS SAY HE WAS THE GUY
WHO WAS ALWAYS OFFERING TO
HELP.
HELP.
HELP. >>
HELP. >> AND SO WELL LIKED AND
RESPECTED.
RESPECTED. HE WAS THE KIND OF GUY, YOU
KNOW, HE WAS EVERYBODY'S
FRIEND, ALWAYS HAPPY, ALWAYS
CHEERFUL, ALWAYS HAD A SMILE ON
HIS FACE.
HIS FACE.
HIS FACE. >> HE WAS A MAN THAT COULD BE
TRUSTED.
TRUSTED.
TRUSTED. HE WAS A MAN THAT YOU COULD
FEEL SAFE WITH.
AND I THINK MANY IN OUR
COMMUNITY FELT LIKE THEY COULD
REACH OUT TO HIM, THEY COULD
FIND HOPE, THEY COULD FIND
HELP,S THEY COULD FIND HEALING.
>> PASTOR THOMAS' FRIENDS SAY
HE ALSO ORGANIZED JOB FAIRS AND
MASS THANKSGIVING DINNERS FOR
FAMILIES WHO WERE STRUGGLING.
>>> EVERY DAY WE HEAR FROM
VIEWERS WHO ARE ASKING WHY WE
ARE NOT SEEING THE NUMBER OF
PEOPLE WHO HAVE RECOVERED FROM
COVID-19 IN OUR STATE.
TODAY GOVERNOR POLIS NOW SAID A
BY THE END OF THE WEEK THE
STATE WILL BEGIN RELEASING
NUMBERS ON THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE
WHO HAVE GOTTEN OUT OF THE
HOSPITAL SINCE THIS ALL
STARTED.
STARTED.
STARTED. THESE RECOVERY NUMBERS ARE
SOMETHING OLD OR COUNTIES HAVE
BEEN TRACKING AND RELEASING ON
A SMALLER SCARE.
AND ALL OF OUREPIDEMIOLOGISTS
WILL FOLLOW UP WITH PEOPLE WHO
TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID.
CALLS TO CHECK IN ON THEM TO
SEE HOW THEY'RE DOING AND
MOSTLY TO FIND OUT IF THEY ARE
ASYMPTOMATIC, COMPLETING THE
COURSE OF ILLNESS.
WHEN THEY ARE, WE COUNT THEM AS
RECOVERED.
RECOVERED. >> OF THE 286 KNOWN CASES IN
BOULDER COUNTY, 116 PEOPLE SAY
THEY HAVE RECOVERED.
YOU CAN TELL HOW TIME INTENSIVE
THIS IS.
THIS IS.
THIS IS. THERE IS A TEAM OF EIGHT
VOLUNTEER EPIDEMIOLOGISTS IN
BOULDER COUNTY, CALLING
PATIENTS TO FOLLOW UP.
A LACK OF RESOURCES IS THE
REASON WHY THIS IS NOT BEING
DONE IN EVERY SINGLE COUNTY.
SO MANY DON'T HAVE THE
PERSONNEL TO FOLLOW UP ON EVERY
CASE.
>>>
>>> THE
>>> THE SHERIFF OF WELD COUNTY IS RESPONDING TO ACCUSATIONS
THAT HE DIDN'T DO ENOUGH TO
PROTECT INMATES AND WORKERS IN
THE WELD COUNTY JAIL.
THE ACLU FILED A LAWSUIT LAST
WEEK SAYING A LACK OF ACTION
RESULTED IN AN OUTBREAK AT THE
JAIL.
JAIL.
JAIL. THE
JAIL. THE SHERIFF SAYS HIS DEPARTMENT
TOOK 81 STEPS TO PREVENT SUCH
AN OUTBREAK, INCLUDING MORE
SCREENINGS, ORDERING MORE
SANITIZERS, CLEANING SUPPLIES,
AND REDUCING JAIL POPULATION.
THE INMATE POPULATION IS DOWN
ON MARCH 5 TO 513 TODAY.
HE SAID THAT'S ROUGHLY HALF OF