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Colorado commences gradual reopening

NEW SANITARY REGULATION

Newsroom El Comercio de Colorado

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Governor Jared polis and local authorities work to create social distance procedures for the economy. On top of this, they plan to apply a greater number of tests and work on a focused strategy.

On April 27th, Colorado will enter a new phase in its battle with COVID-19. During this phase, Colorado residents will not be mandated by law to stay at home but will be encouraged to do so. Vulnerable persons, especially older adults, should continue to stay at home, except when necessary. “We can’t lose sight of the fact that our job isn’t finished, your job isn’t finished, and by a long shot,” said Governor Jared Polis.

K-12 school districts and colleges must continue the remainder of the school year remotely. However, medical and dental offices, as well as beauty salons can start operating, so long as they adhere strictly to rules of social distancing. Retail businesses can deliver orders to stores or customers’ residences. However, retailers should not receive visits from large numbers of clients until after May 1^st, and with some restrictions.

Those in the real estate market will be able to show houses for sale, but “open houses” are still prohibited. Polis specified that bars and restaurants will continue operating in the same currently limited form. Service company offices can only operate with 50 percent of their staff as of May 4^th. Companies with large workforces must take worker’s temperatures daily and systematically. The Governor encouraged that the remote work system be implemented if possible.

Precautionary Measures

The new Colorado government regulations were based on a model built from state-collected data. The modeling shows that the Stay-at-Home order has reduced social interactions by 75-80% since it went into effect. Currently, Colorado has 10,000 reported cases, however, the state believes the real number is closer to 65,000-75,000 Coloradans — about 1.1%-1.3% of the population.

“It’s important to note that there may be a fluctuation between the levels to recover from outbreaks, meaning that Colorado could return to the Stay-at-Home phase if there is a significant increase in cases or spread of the virus. The deadly virus will continue to be with us, and we must wear masks and socialize less to avoid its rapid growth,” said the Governor. Local governments will have the opportunity to implement stricter restrictions, particularly those who may be experiencing an outbreak.

Different timeline

Based on the governor’s order, Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Denver and Jefferson counties postponed their opening procedures until May 8. “I applaud the leadership of areas of our state that have extended their stay at home orders to thoughtfully take the time needed to implement and enforce safer at home safety regulations,” said Governor Polis.

“I also applaud the thoughtful work in several counties that are fortunate enough to be able to reduce restrictions thanks to their work in addressing the public health situation,” Polis said regarding requests from Eagle and Mesa counties to ease the quarantine of their residents and authorize the operation of businesses. The governor and local authorities are working to create social-distancing procedures for the economy.

The rebel county

Polis added “all Coloradans are united in our shared effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19.” However, the governor has warned Weld county authorities that opening all businesses April 27 is not a good idea. The Governor points that the county could lose the resources necessary to handle this emergency. In Colorado, Weld County has the third highest number of those infected by the disease with 1,430 in total, resulting in 82 deaths.

Read Executive Order D 2020 045