John Daley - Colorado Public Radio

Colorado hospitals are on the verge of a crisis as COVID-19 cases are rising. New Mexico and Utah are not far behind.

Colorado counties with high vaccination rates have much lower infection rates among children than those with low rates. Infection rates in schools which require masks are lower than ones that don't.

The new masking guidance the CDC issued Tuesday is for places with high infection numbers. Colorado has a mix of counties with high and low numbers — and attitudes about mask guidelines and mandates.

Colorado officials reported a suspected second case of the U.K. coronavirus variant after confirming the first case on Tuesday. The persons in both cases are members of the Colorado National Guard.

The pandemic has been particularly lethal in rural areas — it’s taking lives in those areas at a rate reportedly nearly 3.5 times higher than in metropolitan communities.