DENVER (AP) _ Hospitalizations from the coronavirus are expected to surpass the high levels seen in April in the next two or three days, Colorado health officials said Wednesday.

Dr. Jon Samet, dean of the Colorado School of Public Health, said during a news conference that if transmission continues at the current rate, the state’s hospitals will exceed capacity in their intensive-care units by late December. He added that ICU units could become overwhelmed sooner if people gather during the holidays.

Colorado’s rate of positive test results and the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, have jumped in recent weeks, The Denver Post reported.

Health officials said 8.92% of tests have come back positive over the past week. The World Health Organization recommends that the positivity rate stay below 5%.

The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 in Colorado is nearing the state’s peak of 888 patients in April. As of Tuesday, 814 people were hospitalized with the disease, an increase of 59 patients from the day before and the highest number since April 25.

More than 13,700 new COVID-19 cases were reported last week, the second week in a row that more than 10,000 new cases were confirmed in the state.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some _ especially older adults and people with existing health problems _ it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death.

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