This week, Colorado marked the one-year anniversary of the very first confirmed COVID-19 case in our state. When each of us woke up on March 5, 2020, we couldn’t have known what the next 12 months would bring. We couldn’t have known how long we would have to wait before we could safely see our grandparents again. We couldn’t have known that parents across the state would have to juggle their careers with their child’s remote learning, or leave the workforce altogether due to lack of child care. We couldn’t have known just how many of our fellow Coloradans would get sick and ultimately lose their lives.
Since that day, nearly 6,000 Coloradans have died from COVID-19. These are our grandmothers and grandfathers, moms and dads, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters.
I can still remember what it felt like to learn that we had lost our first Coloradan to COVID-19, a woman from El Paso County, and, and all I could think about was her story, her family. The loved ones she was leaving behind, and the immense grief they now carried.
Sadly, this is the reality for far too many Colorado families who have experienced loss over this last year. And it’s not only the loss of a loved one that we grieve, for too many it’s the loss of a job that provided purpose and put a roof over your family’s head. It’s the loss of the life we once knew.
But it’s during times of hardship when Coloradans summon the strength and resilience that lives deep in our DNA. Time and time again we have proved that no matter how often we are knocked down, we will keep getting up. And that has been true throughout this pandemic.
Looking toward the future, there are many reasons to be hopeful. Every day we take another step closer to the end of this public health crisis. The lifesaving vaccine is making its way into arms across the state, and I won’t rest until every person who wants a vaccine can get one. We have already reached the ambitious goal we set to vaccinate 70% of Coloradans 70 and older by the end of February, and now we anticipate that by the end of April we could be receiving 400,000 safe and highly effective vaccines each week, a significant increase in our supply. We can see the light at the end of this tunnel, but we’re not there quite yet.
As we continue forward, we can’t stop doing what we know works to slow the spread of this virus and help save lives. We must protect ourselves and our loved ones.
As survivors, it’s our responsibility to wake up every day and live our lives as best as we can — because one year after this pandemic came to our state, there are nearly 6,000 Coloradans who no longer can. Let us cherish each and every day of precious life, and continue showing our love for one another by taking extra care in the final months of this pandemic.
Don’t do it because I’m urging you to, do it for those we’ve lost, for yourself, for your loved ones and for the future of our state. Wear your mask, socially distance yourself from others, continue limiting your social interactions, and please, get the vaccine when it’s your turn.
In the coming weeks and months, I believe there will be much to celebrate. But for now, let us take a moment to honor the sacrifices we’ve made this last year and reflect on the memory of those who are no longer with us.
Together, we will get through this. Together, we will recover. Together, we will heal.
Jared Polis is the governor of Colorado.
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