As Garfield County’s two hospitals are able to collect more specimens for COVID-19 testing, the number of pending test results is mounting.
So far, though, there hasn’t been a significant increase in the number of new cases, as the county was reporting a total of 106 cases per the latest tally.
As of Thursday, Valley View Hospital in Glenwood Springs had 120 pending test results out of 928 specimens collected since early March and sent off to the state lab for testing.
Since Tuesday, the hospital had collected an additional 94 specimens from patients who were considered at high risk or based on physician referrals, according to Valley View’s bi-weekly COVID-19 statistical report.
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Grand River Hospital in Rifle had 21 results pending as of Thursday, and has tested a total of 595 patients. Grand River had collected an additional 42 specimens since its Tuesday report.
To date, 46 tests have come back positive at Valley View, and 21 at Grand River. The remainder of the confirmed cases in the county have been from tests conducted at private labs.
County and statewide totals also include probable cases, where a person is experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 and has had exposure to someone who has tested positive, but has not been tested themselves, according to public health officials.
Through Wednesday, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment was reporting a total of 18,371 cases statewide, resulting in 3,557 hospitalizations since the outbreak began and 944 deaths. Garfield County has reported two deaths, but none since April 9.
Garfield County Public Health’s COVID-19 web page includes other statistical data for the county, including a distribution of confirmed or probable cases by town. To date 31.7% of cases have been in the Glenwood Springs area, 23.1% in New Castle, 20.2% in Carbondale, 11.5% in Rifle, 8.7% in Silt and 4.8% in Parachute/Battlement Mesa.