Press Release

CDPHE expands at-home COVID-19 testing program to restaurant workers

Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) announced today the expansion of the Binax At-Home rapid testing program to food services employees around the state. The Binax At-Home program allows eligible individuals to order free testing kits to their homes and test themselves for COVID-19 under the guidance of a telehealth proctor.

State lab detects additional variant cases in Buena Vista facility

REMOTE, (March 12, 2021): The State Public Health Laboratory detected five additional cases of the B.1.351 variant at the Buena Vista Correctional Complex. This variant was first identified in South Africa.


All five of the cases are incarcerated/detained persons with specimen collection date of 3/1/21. Since the facility has an outbreak, additional testing has been required-- along with the regular monitoring. All of the cases are new and do not appear to have previous positive results. 

State marks a year since the lab discovered the first COVID-19 case 

REMOTE, (March 5, 2021): Today marks a year since the state lab discovered the first case of COVID-19 in Colorado.  

“Today is a solemn day, as we think about all of the Coloradans that have lost their lives to the virus,” said Jill Hunsaker Ryan, executive director, CDPHE. “It’s also a day to be grateful for everything Coloradans have done to protect each other. We have all been in this together, enduring sacrifices, and now finally there is hope around the corner. With every person vaccinated, we all become safer and are closer to returning normal.”