Colorado COVID-19 case rate drops in first half of December

Colorado is one of nine states reporting a drop in coronavirus cases for the first two weeks of December — but residents are far from in the clear.

The latest: COVID-19 infections dropped 3.3% between Dec. 1 and Dec. 14, representing 32.7 cases per 100,000 people, per new data from the New York Times.

Yes, but: Colorado is among a dozen states reporting the highest rise in COVID-19 deaths in the last two weeks, and many hospitals remain swamped with patients.

• More than a third of the state's hospitals anticipate ICU bed shortages in the next week, according to Colorado's health department.
• Half of area hospitals are expecting staffing shortages by mid-December.

The big picture: New data from South Africa and Europe hint that Omicron cases are poised to explode in the U.S., including here in Colorado, Axios' Caitlin Owens writes.

• While the variant appears less likely to result in hospitalization in adults than the original virus, a dramatic surge in cases could overwhelm our burnt-out health system.

This story first appeared in the Axios Denver newsletter, designed to help readers get smarter, faster on the most consequential news unfolding in their own backyard.