The new coronavirus has been linked to at least 70 deaths in Colorado as the number of people with confirmed cases of the disease neared 3,000 on Tuesday.

There were 17 new deaths reported from Monday to Tuesday, the biggest single-day jump yet in fatalities from COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.

The new deaths include two more each in El Paso and Weld counties, where the number of deaths has far outpaced other areas of the state.

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There were also two new deaths reported in Denver and three new deaths each reported in Larimer and Arapahoe counties.

Adams County reported its first two deaths.

The breakdown by county is:

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El Paso County – 13

Weld County – 12

Denver – 7

Larimer County – 6

Jefferson County – 6

Arapahoe County – 6

Eagle County – 4

Pueblo County – 2

Pitkin County – 2

Boulder County -2

Adams County – 2

Gunnison County – 1

Garfield County – 1

Crowley County – 1

Chaffee County – 1

Broomfield County – 1

Elbert County – 1

Teller County – 1

Out of state – 1

New deaths are announced daily by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and on Tuesday the state said there were 69 fatalities. But Elbert County on Monday also announced a death linked to coronavirus — a man in his 70s who was tested after he died on March 26 — bringing the total to 70.

Boulder County reported Tuesday that its second death of someone with coronavirus was a woman in her 70s who had been hospitalized for nearly two weeks.

Details on the other deaths were not released by the state. No one younger than 40 who was infected by the virus has died.

Thirty-six of the deaths — or more than half — were among people age 80 or older.

Also on Tuesday CDPHE reported that more than 2,900 people have tested positive for the virus or have symptoms and close contact with someone who tested positive. More than 500 confirmed patients are hospitalized.

The disease has been detected in at least 50 of Colorado’s 64 counties. There have been outbreaks of the virus in at least 16 residential and non-hospital health care facilities, such as senior care centers or nursing homes.

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