4 p.m. — Is your mental health suffering because of the pandemic? A new hotline offers help

Aurora Mental Health is launching a new support line, available 12 hours a day, to give people anywhere in the state immediate access to a therapist.

The goal is to help those feeling stressed, anxious, and overwhelmed by the pandemic and the drastic measures being used to counter it.

The support line operates in English from 8 a.m. - 8 p.m., every day of the week. Counseling in Spanish is available Monday through Friday, from 4 p.m. - 8 p.m.

To access the line, people can call 303-617-2300 and choose option 5.

— Megan Verlee

3:44 p.m. — As Zoom booms, Bennet worries about the video conferencing company's security

More people are turning to video conferencing to do business or stay in touch amid the COVID-19 outbreak.

Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet wants to make sure the information shared over the platform remains secure. Bennet has written to the CEO of Zoom, one of the preferred online video conferencing platforms, to find out what the company is doing to protect user data.

The letter comes after some zoom conferences were hacked and other sessions intended to be private have been viewable by the public, including classes with young children.

The company, which has seen the number of users on its service grow exponentially due to self-isolation during the coronavirus pandemic, said last week it is trying to make the platform more secure.

Among the questions that Bennet has for the company questions for the company are: What kind of data Zoom collects and for how long does it keep it? Who does the company share the data with? Has the company notified users that the videos are searchable online?

Bennet has requested an answer to his questions by April 15.

— Caitlyn Kim

3:39 p.m. — Colorado colleges are (mostly) declining to offer refunds to students whose spring semesters were disrupted

When colleges across Colorado and the nation began closing in March and sending students home, many wondered if they would get a refund for their spring semester classes disrupted by the new coronavirus, or the meal plans and dorm rooms they were no longer using.

Colorado Mountain College has announced it will not be issuing tuition refunds in an online Q&A in late March, as first reported by The Aspen Times. CMC did offer partial refunds on housing and dining fees.

A petition circulated and signed by Colorado State University students asked for a partial tuition refund to reflect the facilities and services they paid for and no longer have access to. An email to students from provost and executive vice president Rick Miranda said the school did not plan to offer refunds.

An increasing number of students nationwide are demanding a tuition refund. The student government at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore last week asked the administration to refund 25 percent of the tuition for the spring semester. The university has declined to do so.

CMC officials said they are offering students a comparable experience with online learning, and to do so, will extend online courses through the summer session in light of the new coronavirus pandemic.

The college has reached out to students “in the few cases where a physical element of the course may need to be postponed” and offer options to continue the coursework at a later date. CMS is also seeking to help students who lack computer access or reliable internet service.

— Kelley Griffin and Alex Scoville

2:34 p.m. — Denver extends stay at home order

Hart Van Denburg/CPR News A sign above East Colfax Avenue in Denver urges people to wash their hands during the coronavirus outbreak, Friday, March 20, 2020. This state Capitol is in the background.

Denver has extended its stay at home order through April 30. The measure was originally due to expire on Saturday, April 11.

“I am very proud and thankful for all the Denver residents who are staying at home and practicing physical distancing,” Mayor Hancock said in a statement. “I know this hasn’t been easy for many, but given the current data and advice from experts about the spread of COVID-19 in our community and across the country, these are the actions that are going to get us on the other side of this curve and protect the health of as many people as possible.”

Meanwhile, the city has been busy enforcing the order. As of Monday, Denver has had:

6,090 contacts with businesses and residents about compliance with the stay-at-home order

1,796 warnings issued

14 citations issued

The City and County of Denver amended its order to match the statewide stay at home mandate.

— Alex Scoville

2:22 p.m. — Denver lawmakers want the National Guard to help set up a new homeless shelter for the city

City and state lawmakers representing Denver are calling on Gov. Jared Polis to send in the National Guard to help set up one large shelter in Denver where people experiencing homelessness can stay during the coronavirus outbreak.

“We are reaching the limit of what we as a city can do on our own,” Robin Kniech, an at-large member of the Denver City Council, told reporters Monday.

Get the full story on Denverite.

— Donna Bryson

2:14 p.m. — Ask Gov. Jared Polis your questions

David Zalubowski/AP Colorado Gov. Jared Polis dons a mask to encourage state residents to wear them while in public as a statewide stay-at-home order remains in effect in an effort to reduce the spread of the new coronavirus Friday, April 3, 2020, in Centennial, Colo.

CPR News, along with 9News, KRDO and KKCO/KCJT will air a town hall with Gov. Jared Polis on Tuesday, April 7 at 7 p.m.

Kyle Clark from 9News will host the interview and question and answer with the governor.

Learn more and fill out the questionnaire form here.

2:08 p.m. — The latest coronavirus case numbers

Updated 4:06 p.m.: Data released on the state health department's website showed slight differences from numbers given during a press conference earlier in the day.

The latest information from state health officials shows 5,172 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Colorado.

That is an increase of 222 cases since numbers were released yesterday when the total stood at 4,950.

There are now 150 deaths due to the disease in the state, 10 more since the day before.

Nearly 1,000 cases have been hospitalized, from 924 to 994 in the past day.

There are now 41 outbreaks in residential or non-hospital health care facilities, four more since the last release of data.

Colorado has tested nearly 27,000 people.