Denver;Face Covering Order to Expire Thursday

STARTING THURSDAY, JANUARY 3RD, IT WILL ONLY BE MANDATORY TO WEAR MASKS IN SCHOOLS, CHILD CARE CENTERS, HOSPITALS, AND ANY TYPE OF PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.

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Mayor Michael B. Hancock announced that Denver’s face covering order will expire Thursday, January 3^rd. The publica health order requiring face coverings indoors, or proof of vaccination in lieu of face coverings, will not be extended. It was initially implemented in November and extended in December.

The expiration of the original Nov. 24 indoor face covering order does not change face covering requirements in schools and childcare facilities, where face coverings have been required since August 2021. Denver continues to closely monitor vaccination rates and cases in children and will lift the school face covering order when it’s safe to do so.  

Public transportation and healthcare settings

Denver’s public health order expiration does not impact the federal requirement for face coverings on public transportation. The public transit networks include airplanes, buses, trains, taxis, Ubers and Lyfts.

The Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE) requires face coverings for unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated in public spaces. According to this CDPHE’s order, staff, residents, and visitors should use masks in jails, homeless shelters, and emergency medical and other healthcare settings.  

Private business and venues

Authorities of the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment (DDPHE) supports and encourages businesses and venues that decide to continue requiring face coverings or proof of vaccination as added safety measures.  

To protect against the virus

As the current public health order expires this week, the Denver Department of Public Health & Environment (DDPHE) is joining with other metro-area public health agencies to urge residents to be mindful and take precautions when going about their daily lives. Staying up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations, including boosters, is the best way to protect against severe disease.

“Other proven public health controls and personal precautions, like face coverings when in crowded indoor settings; frequent hand washing and sanitizing; and staying at home when sick, limit the spread of the virus and reduce the likelihood of future, more severe variants,” says Health Authorities of Denver.

 Message from Mayor Hancock

“I want to thank all of our residents who have gotten vaccinated and boosted, and complied with the public health order, for doing their part to slow the spread of this virus. The tool that provides the best protection from COVID-19, the vaccine and boosters, is free and widely and readily available,” Mayor Hancock said.