Days before the city of Thornton was set to celebrate the grand opening of a new art division, the ceremony was postponed because of COVID-19 public health concerns.

The city announced the postponement Wednesday, saying the ribbon cutting for the Thornton Arts and Culture and Community Connections Divisions will be rescheduled from Saturday to an undetermined future date.

“In the best health interests of our community and staff members, Thornton is going to reschedule … to a future date when indoor gathering can be more safe,” the city said in a statement.

News of the postponement comes as the number of Coloradans hospitalized with confirmed COVID-19 infections hit 1,576 last week — the highest peak this year and the second-highest since the pandemic began, according to state data. That number fell to 1,473 on Monday, but hospital space remains tight.

About 94% of intensive care beds have been in use on average over the past week, with 110 left statewide Monday, according to state data.

In addition, the United States’ first confirmed case of the omicron COVID-19 variant was recently discovered in California, the White House announced Wednesday. It is unknown whether the new virus strain is more resistant to the vaccine.

With the threat of COVID-19 rising in recent weeks, other local events have chosen to cancel. On Tuesday, the Colorado Springs wind ensemble The Little London Winds announced it was canceling its annual Christmas concert scheduled for Dec. 12.

The Thornton Arts and Culture Center remains open and available for public use. As of Nov. 24, masks are required for all visitors attending or participating in activities held in city facilities unless there is proof that 95% of attendees are vaccinated.

Thornton resident are encouraged to check thorntonco.gov for news about the rescheduled ribbon cutting ceremony.