Colorado Youth Sports COVID-19 Outbreaks

Around a third of the new COVID-19 outbreaks identified by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment involve settings and sites where young people congregate. Several focus on youth sports, including a recent volleyball tournament that spawned multiple infections.

The CDPHE considers an entity an outbreak after two or more COVID-19 cases among residents, staffers or other people connected to a specific location are confirmed within a fourteen-day period, or two or more cases of respiratory illness with an onset of symptoms within a fourteen-day period are paired with at least one additional COVID-19 diagnosis. The vast majority of businesses and facilities identified as outbreaks remain open while working with the department to monitor symptoms and prevent future infections.

New entries on the state’s latest outbreaks report, issued on the afternoon of March 31, are slightly down from the previous week’s total, but still at a plateau higher than state officials wanted to see. The state now has 578 outbreaks under active investigation and 3,708 considered resolved, adding up to 4,286 since the start of the pandemic. That’s 75 more outbreaks than on the March 24 survey, whose cumulative total of 4,211 was 78 outbreaks higher than on March 17.

Also dipping in a minor way were outbreaks at K-12 schools, dropping from fourteen on March 24 to twelve on March 31; there were also outbreaks at three child-care centers. Five youth sports/activities spreads were also added: the volleyball tournament in Larimer County; Monument’s Team Velocity, which also specializes in volleyball; a lacrosse program; a hockey club for teens and a theater program in El Paso County. And another five outbreaks are associated with colleges and universities: the strength and conditioning unit at the University of Northern Colorado, the athletic teams at Northeastern Junior College, a Greek house at the Colorado School of Mines, a dining hall at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs and the second outbreak at Colorado Christian University.

The latest report is rife with repeats. On March 24, eighteen sites that had previously been listed as outbreaks popped up again. On March 31, that number was up to 26.

Other notable outbreaks? Twelve health-care facilities made the list (eleven were added last week); six of the new sites cater mainly to seniors. Seven more restaurants made the list, as did three casinos in Teller County; there are three fresh outbreaks at correctional centers and two at jails. Also on the list: a social gathering in Frisco, the popular Top Golf outlet in Thornton, an Adams County Volvo dealership, a Sprouts grocery store in Larimer County and a Boulder marijuana dispensary.

The 75 new outbreaks are listed below, along with five other entries that have been tweaked by the CDPHE — including Dish Network’s Littleton operation, which was identified as an outbreak last November and now has 102 staff cases. Meanwhile, the Wind Crest independent-living facility in Douglas County, whose outbreak started in December, currently registers 46 resident cases, 44 staff cases and three resident deaths.

The entries are supplemented by the date when the outbreak was first identified and details about the people impacted.

1. 3STEP Lacrosse, Youth Sports/Activities, Denver County, 3/27/2021, 5 staff cases
2. Air Academy High School: March 2021, School, K-12, El Paso County, 3/18/2021, 1 staff case, 1 attendee case
3. Alpine Lumber Company, Retailer, Weld County, 3/30/2021, 2 staff cases
4. Awakened Foods, Food Manufacturing/Packaging, Larimer County, 3/29/2021, 5 staff cases
5. Berry Creek Middle School, School, K-12, Eagle County, 3/29/2021, 3 staff cases, 1 attendee case
6. Boulder Hockey Club 16AA, Youth Sports/Activities, Boulder County, 3/26/2021, 2 attendee cases
7. Bronco Billy’s Casino, Casino, Teller County, 3/22/2021, 4 staff cases
8. Brookdale Fort Collins Memory Care (2303C1): March 2021, Healthcare, Assisted Living, Larimer County, 3/25/2021, 2 staff cases
9. Broomfield Skilled Nursing & Rehab Center (02R989): March 2021, Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, Broomfield County, 3/30/2021, 2 resident cases, 1 staff case
10. Buffalo Wild Wings #122: March 2021, Restaurant, Sit Down, Larimer County, 3/18/2021, 3 staff cases
11. CU Anschutz Medical Campus: Non-Hospital Research Lab, Research Lab, Adams County, 3/23/2021, 2 staff cases
12. Chili’s Grill & Bar: March 2021, Restaurant, Sit Down, Weld County, 3/30/2021, 3 staff cases
13. City of Durango Wastewater/Maintenance, Critical Infrastructure, La Plata County, 3/30/2021, 3 staff cases
14. Clear Creek County Jail, Jail, Clear Creek County, 3/22/2021, 6 resident cases
15. Colorado Christian University: March 2021, College/University, Jefferson County, 3/24/2021, 7 attendee cases
16. Colorado Grande Casino, Casino, Teller County, 3/25/2021, 2 staff cases
17. Colorado School of Mines — Beta Theta Pi, University/College Dorm, Jefferson County, 3/26/2021, 3 attendee cases
18. Custer County Seat Buildings, Office/Indoor Workspace, Custer County, 3/29/2021, 5 staff cases
19. CYT Colorado Springs, Youth Sports/Activities, Youth Theater Company, El Paso County, 3/21/2021, 4 attendee cases
20. Delta Correctional Center: March 2021, State Prison, Delta County, 3/26/2021, 2 resident cases, 2 staff cases
21. Denver Women’s Correctional Facility: March 2021, State Prison, Denver County, 3/30/2021, 12 resident cases, 3 staff cases
22. Discovery Canyon Campus (Elementary, Middle, High School): March 2021, School, K-12, El Paso County, 3/24/2021, 2 staff cases, 6 attendee cases
23. Dish Network Englewood, Office/Indoor Workspace, Douglas County, 3/25/2021, 21 staff cases
24. Dish Network Littleton, Office/Indoor Workspace, Arapahoe County, 11/9/2020, 102 staff cases
25. Double Eagle Hotel & Casino, Casino, Teller County, 3/29/2021, 3 staff cases
26. Double J Pet Ranch, Pet Boarding, El Paso County, 3/20/2021, 2 staff cases
27. DSST: Byers Middle/High School, School, K-12, Denver County, 2/19/2021, 1 staff case, 7 attendee cases
28. Durango Plastering and Drywall, Construction Company/Contractor, La Plata County, 3/30/2021, 3 staff cases
29. Edge Optics, Healthcare, Outpatient, Larimer County, 3/24/2021, 2 staff cases
30. Encore Electric, Inc. Fort Collins, Construction Company/Contractor, 3/24/2021, 3 staff cases
31. Excel Academy Charter School, School, K-12, Jefferson County, 3/26/2021, 1 staff case, 5 attendee cases
32. Fort Collins Police Department: March 2021, Law Enforcement, Larimer County, 3/29/2021, 3 staff cases
33. Gander RV & Outdoors of Denver, Retailer, Jefferson County, 3/29/2021, 3 staff cases
34. Garden Square of Greeley (2303DK): March 2021, Healthcare, Assisted Living, Weld County, 3/29/2021, 1 resident case, 1 staff case
35. Grand Mesa Youth Services Center, Correctional, Mesa County, 3/16/2021, 2 resident cases, 2 staff cases
36. Green Tree Medicinals, Retailer, Boulder County, 3/30/2021, 5 staff cases
37. Gulfeagle Supply, Distribution Center/Business, El Paso County, 3/26/2021, 8 staff cases
38. Harker Neumaier Associates, LLC, Office/Indoor Workspace, Summit County, 3/25/2021, 2 staff cases
39. Hearing HealthCare Centers, Healthcare, Outpatient, Boulder County, 3/29/2021, 3 staff cases
40. Highlands Sport and Spine, Healthcare, Outpatient, Denver County, 3/30/2021, 4 staff cases
41. Keesee Motor Co: March 2021, Car Dealership, Montezuma County, 3/30/2021, 3 staff cases
42. Kentucky Fried Chicken Firestone, Restaurant, Fast Food, Weld County, 3/29/2021, 6 staff cases
43. Lemay Avenue Health & Rehabilitation (020326): March 2021, Healthcare, Skill
ed Nursing, Larimer County, 3/29/20221, 3 staff cases
44. Little People’s Landing Highlands Ranch, Child Care Center, Douglas County, 3/25/2021, 2 staff cases, 4 attendee cases
45. McDonald’s Loveland (Eisenhower Blvd), Restaurant, Fast Food, Larimer County, 3/24/2021, 6 staff cases
46. Midtown Montessori Academy Sloan’s Lake, Child Care Center, Jefferson County, 3/26/2021, 1 staff case, 2 attendee cases
47. Mighty Hand Construction, Construction Company/Contractor, 3/29/2021, 3 staff cases
48. Mission Foods: December 2020, Food Manufacturing/Packaging, Pueblo County, 12/9/2020, 12 staff cases
49. Mobile Mini Solutions, Office/Indoor Workspace, Adams County, 3/26/2021, 10 staff cases
50. Mountain Springs Recovery: March 2021, Healthcare, Alcohol/Drug Abuse Treatment (Outpatient), El Paso County, 3/29/2021, 2 staff cases, 4 attendee cases
51. Nitro Club, Boulder, 3/26/2021, 3 staff cases
52. Northeastern Junior College Athletics: March 2021, College/University Athletic Teams, 3/2/2021, 3 staff cases, 9 attendee cases
53. Northern Colorado Volleyball Club Tournaments, Youth Sports/Activities, Larimer County, 3/29/2021, 3 staff cases, 2 attendee cases
54. Our Lady of Loreto Catholic School, School, K-12, Arapahoe County, 3/29/2021, 3 attendee cases
55. Parker Core Knowledge Charter School: March 2021, School, K-12, Douglas County, 3/29/2021, 2 staff cases
56. Piante Pizzeria, Restaurant, Sit Down, Summit County, 3/27/2021, 2 staff cases
57. PowerBack Rehabilitation Lafayette (02U713): March 2021, Healthcare, Rehab Facility, Boulder County, 3/29/2021, 2 staff cases
58. Riverdale Rehab and Care Community (020312): March 2021, Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, Adams County, 3/30/2021, 2 resident cases
59. Rocky Heights Middle School: March 2021, School, K-12, Douglas County, 3/31/2021, 8 attendee cases
60. Rocky Mountain Classical Academy: March 2021, School, K-12, El Paso County, 3/18/2021, 3 attendee cases
61. Sanborn Western Camps (COEC), Overnight Camp, Outdoor Ed, Teller County, 3/29/2021, 2 staff cases
62. Social Gathering Frisco: March 2021, Social Gathering, Summit County, 3/26/2021, 3 attendee cases
63. Sonshine Center East, Child Care Center, Jefferson County, 3/26/2021, 4 staff cases, 4 attendee cases
64. South High School, School, K-12, Denver County, 3/25/2021, 8 attendee cases
65. Springs Village Care Center (020535): March 2021, Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, El Paso County, 3/24/2021, 2 resident cases, 2 staff cases
66. Sprouts Farmers Market Corbett Dr #303, Grocery Store, Larimer County, 3/24/2021, 3 staff cases
67. Stolle Machinery Englewood, Non-Food Manufacturer/Warehouse, Arapahoe County, 3/29/2021, 3 staff cases
68. Summit County Jail: March 2021, Jail, Summit County, 3/24/2021, 2 resident cases, 1 staff case
69. Swansea Elementary School: March 2021, School, K-12, Denver County, 3/24/2021, 1 staff case, 3 attendee cases
70. Tall Grass Animal Hospital, Veterinary Hospital, Arapahoe County, 3/26/2021, 6 staff cases
71. Tax Credit Connection, Office/Indoor Workspace, Larimer County, 3/24/2021, 3 staff cases
72. Team Velocity, Youth Sports/Activities, El Paso County, 3/29/2021, 4 attendee cases
73. The Classical Academy East Campus: March 2021, School, K-12, El Paso County, 3/23/2021, 4 attendee cases
74. The Human Bean Loveland, Restaurant, Larimer County, 3/25/2021, 2 staff cases
75. The Urban Egg Fort Collins, Restaurant, Sit Down, Larimer County, 3/24/2021, 3 staff cases
76. Top Golf Thornton: March 2021, Indoor Entertainment/Rec, Adams County, 3/30/2021, 6 staff cases
77. University of Colorado at Colorado Springs Dining Hall, College/University, El Paso County, 3/27/2021, 2 attendee cases
78. University of Northern Colorado Athletics Strength and Conditioning, College/University, Weld County, 3/29/2021, 2 staff cases
79. Volvo of Denver, Autor Dealership, Adams County, 3/30/2021, 3 staff cases
80. Wind Crest: November 2020, Healthcare, Independent Living Facility, Douglas County, 12/28/2020, 46 resident cases, 44 staff cases, 3 resident deaths

Michael Roberts has written for Westword since October 1990, serving stints as music editor and media columnist. He currently covers everything from breaking news and politics to sports and stories that defy categorization.