DENVER, March 26, 2020: The Colorado State Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) are distributing 4,500 testing kits obtained from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to health departments in Larimer, Mesa, and El Paso counties so that those agencies can promote testing of first responders and health care workers in their regions.

This testing strategy helps strengthen medical capacity through early identification of health care workers and first responders who may test positive for COVID-19. Only symptomatic workers will be tested to verify their exposure and allow those with negative results to continue providing medical care and public safety services. Those with positive results will complete self-isolation following public health guidelines.

“Colorado has continued to seek ways to expand our testing of critical populations. We are grateful to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for providing these testing kits for our crucial health care workers and first responders working on the front line,” said Scott Bookman, CDPHE COVID-19 Incident Commander. “These kits will strengthen our medical capacity, allowing us to verify positive cases among first-line resources and work to keep them -- and the people they serve -- healthy.”