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April 22, 2021
DENVER, COLORADO
A publication of
VOLUME 94 | ISSUE 23
Denver Restaurant Week shifts to spring STAFF REPORT
year. Of the adults surveyed, 40.9% admitted to delaying medical care for fear of being infected with COVID. An added 12% admitted they avoided urgent-care clinics and emergency rooms. An estimated 31.5% avoided general health care altogether. Kristin Orlowski, a UCHealth behavioral health expert in Highlands Ranch, said the pandemic created a lot of fear in adults, especially regarding health care.
This year’s Denver Restaurant Week has shifted to take place in the spring, VISIT DENVER announced in a news release. The 2021 dates are April 23-May 2. Traditionally, the 10-day showcase of Denver’s culinary scene takes place in February, which is typically a slow time of the year for the industry. This year, however, because COVID-19 restrictions — such as social distancing guidelines that limit seating — are still in place, the warmer weather in spring may allow restaurants to maximize patio and outdoor seating. This year’s spring Denver Restaurant Week also encourages takeout and delivery. “Above anything else, we want to ensure we are focusing on advocacy for our restaurant partners, while keeping the health and safety of the community top of mind,” said Richard Scharf, president and CEO of VISIT DENVER, in a news release. “We have an excellent culinary scene that is having a tough time right now through no fault of its own, so we wanted to build a new spring program that still offers as many to-go options as ever, while increasing access to safe dine-in options as well.” As usual, participating restaurants
SEE CARE, P6
SEE RESTAURANT, P9
Doctors across the Denver metro area are encouraging residents to catch up on medical care.
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Patients skipping care worries physicians BY THELMA GRIMES TGRIMES@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
It could take years to catch up on screenings, immunizations and fallout from pandemic delays. Scientists, doctors, and the world are starting to come to grips with the direct and indirect impacts the COVID-19 pandemic had on the healthcare system. That impact is not being measured by the number of COVID cases, but instead, the consequences of a large percentage of society skipping preventive
PART 1: DELAYED MEDICAL This is the first in a two-part series exploring the impacts on residents when they delay medical appointments due to the barriers and inconveniences of the pandemic.
screenings and general health care in 2020. To assess the consequences of delayed care, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention commissioned a web-based survey last
INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 8 | LIFE: PAGE 10 | CALENDAR: PAGE 11
LET’S GET MOVING AGAIN
Fitness options counter the sedentary effects of the pandemic P10