DENVER – Colorado will change its COVID-19 switching system again next Wednesday to give provinces more flexibility to ease business constraints as the state vaccinates more people.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment (CDPHE) announced the changes in a news release issued Friday at 6 p.m. The department is taking feedback on the proposed amendments until Monday afternoon before finalizing the dial-up amendments on Tuesday, which will take effect on Wednesday.
“Coloradans have made significant sacrifices to reduce disease transmission, so it’s time to update the knob to reflect this reality, plus the growing number of people being immunized,” said CDPHE CEO Jill Hunsaker Ryan. said. “This updated proposal is based on the disease and vaccination rates in Colorado, plus input from local public health agencies and local governments, and we are seeking the public’s help in further refining it.”
CDPHE
The CDPHE says it will make changes again by mid-April to “move to a more local model so that local public health institutions can take more control over capacity constraints currently set by the turnbuckle.” That last changed in early February.
Some of the changes in the latest proposal are:
· There are no more restrictions on the size of personal gatherings, but a request that people follow the CDC’s guidance to avoid large gatherings.
· Provinces can apply for the least restrictive phase, Level Green, if they have 35 or fewer COVID cases per 100,000 people. The measure was previously 15 cases per 100,000 people.
In Level Green, bars, gyms and indoor event spaces will be able to work at 50% of 500 people, depending on the least, but most other restrictions have been removed.
· Provinces at Level Blue will be allowed to open bars for 25% capacity of 75 people, whichever is less.
· Shallow blue and shallow green outdoor event spaces no longer have capacity constraints, but provinces can choose to implement them at local level
· Retail, office and non-critical manufacturing facilities in provinces in Level Blue can operate up to 75% capacity, compared to 50%.
· Blue 5-star businesses on an equal footing can be operated with a capacity of up to 60% if they do not cover more than 50 people above restaurants and indoor events, and 25 people above gyms.
You can find more about the capacity constraints in the draft proposal by clicking here. And you can find out more about the updated proposal for ‘Dial 3.0’ statistics by clicking here. Coloradans can review the changes by clicking here and submitting feedback here.
‘These proposed updates reflect the growing number of Coloradans who have received a COVID-19 vaccine over the past four months. People aged 70 and older accounted for 38% of all hospitalizations during the Colorado pandemic. “Nearly 80% of this age group has been fully vaccinated, and vaccines will be available to all Coloradans over the age of 16 by mid-April,” the CDPHE said in a news release.
“The role of the state in continuing the mandate to reduce nationwide restrictions is diminishing and the role of local communities in regulating and managing the virus is increasing.”