Gov. Jared Polis on Wednesday said all Colorado schools will be closed to in-person learning until at least April 30, extending an earlier order by about a week.
The initial order, announced on March 18, was to expire on April 17.
Polis said the extension is needed to continue to delay when COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, peaks in Colorado. This will allow hospitals to prepare for a surge in patients.
“Right now, we simply don’t have the medical capacity — the hospital beds, the ICU units, the ventilators,” Polis said at a news conference at the state’s emergency operations center in Centennial.
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There are about 3,300 confirmed coronavirus cases in Colorado, though officials warn there are likely many times more that infected with the disease. At least 81 deaths have been attributed to the outbreak.
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