Nearly 1 in 4 Denverites testing positive for COVID-19 [Video]

DENVER — Three days after testing positive for COVID-19, Denver Mayor Michael Hancock held a remote press conference to address the concerning trends the city is seeing, many of which are being driven by the highly transmissible Omicron variant of the virus.

Hancock tested positive for COVID-19 on January 1. The mayor, who is fully vaccinated and boosted, said he is only experiencing mild symptoms similar to those of a cold. He attributed that to his vaccination status.

Many Denverites are in a similar situation. During the January 4 briefing, Hancock said Denver is currently experiencing its highest COVID-19 case rate since the start of the pandemic. The positivity rate is also at a record high, with nearly 1 in 4 COVID-19 tests coming back positive.

[Related: More than 1 million Americans were diagnosed with COVID over the long holiday weekend]

While hospitalizations have not risen at the same pace in …