Gov. Jared Polis said Monday that Colorado is counting on its residents to make the new “safer-at-home” response to the new coronavirus work as restrictions on people’s movement begin to lift this week.
And if they don’t – and the disease begins to spread out of control – the state would consider imposing severe restrictions, including reinstating the statewide stay-at-home order, he said.
“If we slack off, if Coloradans let up, if less people are wearing masks when they are in public, if stores aren’t being careful and personal services aren’t being careful about following the guidelines that we put out today, then it’s likely that additional restrictions might have to come back,” Polis said. “Our gains will be lost. This great sacrifice that Coloradans have made will have been for nothing if we can’t continue and maintain the social distancing needed.”
The governor said his staff will be watching infection rates and hospitalizations closely to ensure that COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, stays manageable.
“We’re going to be watching the data every single day,” Polis said at a briefing with reporters in the Colorado Capitol. “If the numbers begin to climb at an unsustainable rate, then we’re likely to have to go backwards rather than forward. It’s really up to the individual choices, the informed decision the people of Colorado make.”
Polis’ statewide stay-at-home order expired on Sunday and a safer-at-home period began on Monday. Retail businesses, salons, tattoo parlors and offices can begin to reopen, with social distancing precautions, over the next week.
About half of the state’s population will remain under a stay-at-home order until at least May 8, however, after officials in Denver, Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield and Jefferson counties said it was too soon to drop the most severe restrictions.
Polis has been adamant that Coloradans should continue to stay in their homes as much as possible. His safer-at-home period relies on a careful balance of social distancing adherence, mask wearing, testing and infection-tracing to prevent Colorado’s health care system from being overwhelmed.
“We’re nowhere near being back to normal,” he said.
And the governor said Coloradans should expect more enforcement during this safer-at-home phase that there was during the stay-at-home order.
“Enforcement,” he said of the safer-at-home period, “is absolutely critical.”
Businesses that don’t comply with the safer-at-home directive will be sent a cease-and-desist letter from the state and may lose their license to operate. Counties and cities that don’t abide by the order will lose their emergency preparedness grants, Polis says.
For businesses to reopen, they must have social distancing and cleaning measures in place. That includes:
Installing decals on the floor showing customers how far to stand from other patronsEnsuring their workers have masks and glovesPosting signage about personal hygieneConducting daily temperature checks and monitoring symptoms of employeesEnsuring employees can take frequent breaks to wash their handsIncreasing ventilationBusinesses that offer personal services that require workers to get close to patrons – such as hair and nail salons, tattoo parlors and personal trainers – are encouraged to take additional measures. That includes monitoring symptoms in their customers, accepting clients only by appointment and barring walk-in patrons, and keeping a list of customers and their contact information so that if someone does become ill, infection-tracing can be easily implemented.
Polis said people should report businesses that are not following best practices to their local public health officials and the Colorado Attorney General’s Office.
“We know that the people of Colorado will tell us if there’s a store that’s not implementing social distancing,” Polis said.
Polis said that through Monday there have been at least 707 deaths related to coronavirus and more than 13,800 confirmed and probable cases.
Best practices
Colorado’s stay-at-home order ended Sunday. The state now moves into a “safer-at-home” period, which includes the first phase on Monday when curbside retail and real estate showings began. On Friday, retail and personal services can open if implementing best practices. And on May 4, noncritical offices can reopen if implementing best practices and lower density.
Best practices for all businesses include:
Worksites
Deputize workplace coordinator(s) charged with addressing COVID-19 issues.
Maintain 6-foot distancing when possible and discourage shared spaces.
Frequently sanitize all high-touch areas.
Post signage for employees and customers about good hygiene.
Ensure proper ventilation.
Avoid gatherings (meetings, waiting rooms, etc.) of more than 10 people.
Implement symptom monitoring protocols (including workplace temperature monitoring and symptom screening questions) where possible.
Eliminate or regularly sanitize any items in common spaces (e.g., break rooms) that are shared between individuals (e.g., condiments, coffee makers, vending machines).
Provide appropriate protective gear like gloves, masks and face coverings and encourage appropriate use.
Employees
Require employees showing any symptoms or signs of sickness, or who have been in contact with known positive cases, to stay home.
Connect employees to company or state benefits providers.
Provide flexible or remote scheduling for employees who need to continue to observe stay-at-home, who may have child or elder care obligations, or who live with a person who still needs to observe stay-at-home because of underlying condition, age or other factors.
Encourage and enable remote work whenever possible.
Minimize all in-person meetings.
Provide handwashing facilities/stations and hand sanitizer.
Encourage breaks to wash hands or use hand sanitizer.
Phase shifts and breaks to reduce employee density.
Wear appropriate protective gear like gloves, masks and face coverings and encourage appropriate use.
To protect customers:
Create special hours for people at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19.
Encourage and facilitate 6-foot distancing inside of the business for all patrons.
Encourage use of protection like gloves, masks and face coverings.
Provide hand sanitizer at entrance.
Install shields or barriers where possible between customers and employees.
Use contactless payment solutions, no touch trash cans, etc. whenever possible.
