JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. Some bars will have to close and restaurants and gyms will be required to work 50% off again on Friday due to an increase in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in Jefferson County.
“Unfortunately, we are slipping in the wrong direction,” says Dr. Dawn Comstock, executive director of Jefferson County Public Health (JCPH), in a news release sent to Denver7 on Wednesday.
The province reported 142.7 cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 inhabitants for the period from March 31 to April 6, exceeding the criteria for Level Blue (115 cases per 100,000 inhabitants for five consecutive days) in the COVID -19-dial.
Comstock said the majority of new cases among adults are between 20 and 39 years old. In addition, the majority of the province’s outbreaks in schools and non-regulated enterprises, such as offices and retail, are reported.
“Other factors contributing to the increase in community outreach include the significant reduction in social distance and spread of virus variants,” Comstock said in a news release.
The announcement of the county’s move to a more restricted level on the color-coded knob comes a day after Jefferson County changed its public health order on masks, no longer requiring it in the outdoors, but still instructed for indoor public institutions.
Under Level Yellow the following restrictions apply from Friday 9 April at 06:00:
- Restaurants are limited to 50% of the number of people placed, and may not exceed 150 people per room. Last call is at 01:00
- The pubs should close unless it is serving food.
- Interior spaces are limited to 50% of the number of people placed, and may not exceed 150 people per room within usable space. Usable space for sit-ins and unsettled events with less than 50 people is calculated using 6-foot distance between non-domestic contacts. For unsettled events with more than 50 people, the usage space must be calculated using the Distancing Space Calculator.
- Outdoor space is limited to 50% of the number of people placed, and it may not calculate more than 175 people within the usable space per designated area using the Distancing Space Calculator. If the meeting takes place, the use space should be calculated using distance of 6 feet between members of non-households.
- Recreation, including gyms, leisure centers and swimming pools, is limited to 50% capacity and may not exceed 50 people per room indoors or an outdoor activity area. Institutions larger than 7,200 square meters can use the Distancing Space Calculator to expand to 100 patrons per room within their usable space.
- Organized sports are limited to 25 players, excluding coaches, referees and referees.
- Off-site activities are limited to 50% capacity, and may not be more than 10 people.
- Youth camps are limited to ten participants indoors and 25 participants outdoors.
- Businesses that have certified the five-star certification program in Jefferson County can operate under the Leve Blue limits.
“None of us want to go backwards with the Dial after all the hard work we’ve done and sacrifices we’ve made,” Comstock said. ‘It’s important that we now take the necessary steps to reverse this trend so that we have the opportunity to celebrate the things and people we love and enjoy. We missed a lot of these special occasions last year, but if we work hard now, it does not have to be the case for 2021. ”
Comstock still encouraged residents to wear masks, keep a good social footing six feet away from others, and avoid gatherings.
At least two other Colorado counties moved to more restricted levels this week: Summit County moved to Level Orange on Wednesday and Pueblo County moved to Level Yellow on Tuesday due to new spikes in COVID-19 cases.