The number of coronavirus cases in El Paso County is climbing, driven by the highly contagious delta variant.

The county has seen 717 new coronavirus cases in the last seven days, pushing the rate up to 99.2 cases per 100,000, a level not seen since early June, according to El Paso County Public Health data. The percentage of people testing positive has also risen to 6%.

The rate of cases locally is higher than any of the counties in the Denver metro area. For example, Denver County has 49.8 cases per 100,000 people over a week.

The number of new cases and percentage of people testing positive in El Paso County is far below levels seen in the fall and winter, but rising quickly, even though 55% of the county is fully vaccinated, public health data shows.

The uptick in cases could lead to a surge of cases among unvaccinated people since social distancing requirements and mask mandates have been relaxed, said Michelle Hewitt, a spokeswoman for El Paso County Health.

The delta variant is driving the spread of the virus and accounts for 90% of new cases in Colorado, The Gazette previously reported. The variant can be caught within a shorter period of time than the original virus, and once a person gets sick, the individual will experience symptoms within fewer days and spread the variant more quickly, Colorado College microbiology professor Phoebe Lostroh said.

“For anyone to risk exposure is more dangerous than it was before the delta variant,” she said.

The vast majority of people seeking care from UCHealth for the virus have also tested positive for the variant, said Cary Vogrin, a spokeswoman for UCHealth. Across the county, 63 residents were hospitalized with the virus on Friday, an elevated number of patients for the facilities, El Paso County Public Health data shows.

UCHealth across its hospitals is caring for the highest number of patients since early June, and Pikes Peak region hospitals are caring for most of the COVID-19 patients within the system, she said.

“Even though masking is not required in many places now, that doesn’t mean the pandemic has ended. We still see the faces of COVID-19 every day in the hospital,” Vogrin said. “From June 1 to mid-July — just six weeks’ time — nearly 225 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 at UCHealth hospitals in the Pikes Peak region.”

More than a quarter of those patients needed care in an intensive care unit, she said.

Very few vaccinated people have needed care. UCHealth has cared for more than 1,000 COVID-19 patients since January, and only a dozen of those patients had been fully vaccinated, she said.

However, the pace of vaccination in El Paso County has fallen in recent months and plateaued to 6,000 doses each week over the last three weeks. At the peak of the rush to get vaccinated, more than 38,000 residents got a shot in one week in April, El Paso County data show.

The city is not planning on any new social distancing requirements to slow the spread of the virus, said Jamie Fabos, a city spokeswoman. It is also still planning to hold a parade to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the city on July 31. The city would only implement new restrictions if hospitalizations or deaths reach a certain level. Gov. Jared Polis has also shown no interested in new public health mandates, she said.

“Fully vaccinated individuals are well protected, so they are free to enjoy such celebrations and gatherings. … Unvaccinated individuals are encouraged to wear masks when in crowds or to avoid large events entirely,” she said.

Lostroh advised against holding a parade when a virus is on the rise.

“It’s literally a textbook case in epidemiology, in public health — don’t hold a parade,” she said.

She also encourages residents to wear masks in indoor settings, especially because long-term cases of coronavirus can have cognitive effects.

All kinds of venues, including schools and workplaces, can also improve ventilation to help slow the spread of the virus, Lostroh said.

A full list of vaccination options can be found at elpasocountyhealth.org/how-can-i-get-a-vaccine.

UCHealth will also provide vaccines from noon to 2 p.m. July 31 at U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum plaza.