Governor Polis Updates March 28, 2020 COVID-19

Quick Links to Stay Up to Date

Topline Update

As of today we have 1,734 cases, 31 deaths, and 239 hospitalizations out of 11,676 completed tests. 

The most up-to-date public health order can be found here.

While the state is not requiring it, our Department of Public Safety has added a Critical Business Self-Certification form to their website in response to requests from employees and private sector members for a document to carry that certifies that they are traveling for work for a critical business. The form is voluntary. It is not required. Link to the document can be found  here.

Today, the Governor announced that he is removing restrictions on auto insurance for drivers for Restaurant Delivery. In an effort to protect these workers and their vehicles, the Colorado Department of Insurance released emergency regulations to allow for restaurant workers  to deliver food with less red tape and insurance delays. Restaurant owners are encouraged to contact their insurance agents, brokers or companies to discuss additional coverage riders and other options that could offer more protection for their workers and their businesses. Such options could prove useful even after the COVID-19 emergency. 

Stay at Home Order

We have been getting a lot of questions from the press and from the public about our Stay-At-Home Order. As you all know, the Governor announced a stay-at-home order that took effect yesterday at 6 a.m. and will last until April 11. We want to stress to everyone that this is not a competition to see what you can get away with. This is not a time to try to figure out how close you can get to the line. This is a time to stay as far away from the line as you possibly can.

 Just stay at home unless it’s absolutely necessary. And if it is absolutely necessary, keep your distance from others, wash your hands frequently, wipe down surfaces, and practice common sense. Use your best judgment and err on the side of safety for yourself and others. And the age old wisdom applies here -- if you have to ask yourself if something is smart or safe -- it’s probably not. Treat this as seriously as you would treat a tornado, or a flood, or a wildfire, or a hurricane. Because the threat is just as real. And the more noncompliance there is, the longer and more severe this crisis will be, and the longer these extraordinary measures may be in place.

Some of the most frequent questions we are getting are

  1. Enforcement: This is an executive order, that means it is the law. The rule of law is the foundation of our society; it must be followed. Residents who suspect that a person or an establishment is violating the order should first contact their local public health agency to report any concerns. Residents may also file a report with the Attorney General’s Office at [email protected] if local law enforcement or a local public health agency is unresponsive.

  2. Parks and Outdoor Recreation: If you absolutely need to recreate, please do it in your own communities close to your home. This should not be treated as a “vacation.” This is not the time to drive two or three or four hours from Denver to a mountain community -- many of which are already reeling from this crisis -- and potentially contribute to the spread in our mountain communities. We’ve all seen the videos on social media of people packed onto trails at state parks -- that can be just as dangerous as being packed into a bar or at a crowded theater.

The trails are often quite narrow, so when you pass someone else, you’re most likely within six feet, and folks shouldn’t be going off-trail anyway -- we should all be practicing the ‘leave no trace’ guidelines. The mountains and canyons have been there for thousands of years. They will be there after this all blows over.  Just have patience and stop putting yourself and others at risk.

  1. Houses of Worship: We know faith is important to so many Coloradans, and more than that, houses of worship often function as community centers -- a place to come together. We know how difficult this is on so many Coloradans.  The order states that houses of worship may remain open for essential activities, but must practice social distancing, which means that at least six feet apart for each party and limit to 10 or less. We want to stress the importance of using electronic platforms to broadcast worship. Essential church staff including religious leaders can conduct services from the house of worship and broadcast it to members as long as all of the support staff are practicing proper social distancing. As with everything -- please don’t go out unless you have to, and please take steps to have church or synagogue or mosque or temple services by electronic means.

  1. Additional Allowances: A few more additional allowances for going out include:

  • Parents transporting children to comply with parenting plans.

  • Fulfilling online orders.

  • Administering elections and participating in elections are critical government functions.

  • We want to stress that even if your business qualifies as a critical business, we urge you to comply with social distancing requirements and allow employees to work from home as much as you can.

 If you still need additional clarification on what is considered essential. You are able to reach out to [email protected]with your questions. 

The data behind the decisions

Today, the Governor gave a slide presentation during his press conference to discuss some of the predictive modeling that is guiding the public health decisions that he is making.

Thank you to Dr. Jon Samet, Dean of the Colorado School of Public Health and his team who have been working hard to put together the modeling data in partnership with the University of Colorado School of Medicine and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

A copy of the presentation is here. This data explains why the Governor  issued the Stay-At-Home order. It is a blunt force instrument to knock down this curve as quickly and as hard as we can to spread it out. The more we can do to increase social distancing,  the more time we have to build additional capacity, secure medical equipment, build ventilators etc. The goal is to do a Stay-At-Home order once, make it as quick as possible so we can save our healthcare system and save lives. IF we are successful, we will be able to resume normal economic activity.

 Grant application for our COVID Relief Fund is open!

Community based organizations can start applying for relief funds. The link can be found onwww.helpcoloradonow.org or gohere. Community-based organizations that meet the following three criteria areas are eligible to apply: Organization type, populations served, and alignment with one of the Fund’s three funding priority areas of Prevention, Impact and Recovery. For more information on requirements, visit the website to review eligibility and to apply!