"I visited a very busy COVID unit at UCHealth Memorial Hospital Central thi…

"I visited a very busy COVID unit at UCHealth Memorial Hospital Central this morning. Seeing people, including young people, older people and even previously healthy people struggling to breathe and on ventilators was sobering to say the least. Trust me, no one wants to see a loved one in that ward.

"I also saw our hard-working but exhausted medical professionals who are working as hard as they physically can, in demanding conditions, to treat those in critical conditions. They are doing much more than they’ve ever been asked to do before, with dwindling staff numbers and extreme risk.

"For those who don’t believe this is serious, or real, you are very, very wrong. COVID-19 is extremely serious, and our rate of transmission seriously threatens our hospitals’ ability to keep up with cases as well as with other urgent care needs.

"I have said that I don’t believe government restrictions are an effective cure to this pandemic. Personal responsibility, making hard choices and doing the right thing because it’s the right thing is what will change the trajectory of this virus.

"Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and I urge all our residents to gather in a way that is as safe as possible. Please do your part to change this situation. Be part of the solution, not part of the problem, and help our community overcome this challenge." Mayor John Suthers