On a Weld County, Colorado, radio show last Thursday, the Board of County Commissioners chair Mike Freeman announced that any business willing to follow social-distancing guidelines would be allowed to open its doors to the public.
Some of our readers will be familiar with Weld, the rural, oil-rich, largely conservative county that attempted to secede from Colorado a few years back. In 2013, Republican Weld County commissioners began a campaign to secede from the State of Colorado, and a state ballot measure regarding the issue was put on the November 2013 ballot for several northern Colorado states. On November 5, 2013, 6 out of 11 Colorado counties voted no for secession, including Weld County. Elbert, Lincoln, Logan, Moffat, Sedgwick, and Weld counties voted no, while Cheyenne, Kit Carson, Phillips, Washington, and Yuma counties voted yes.
“Weld County voters said this is an option we shouldn’t pursue and we won’t pursue it,” said Weld County Commissioner Sean Conway, following the 2013 election, “But we will continue to look at the problems of the urban and rural divide in this state.”
That “urban-rural divide” is once again rearing its ugly head, as political conservatives protest the economic damage caused by continued ‘safer at home’ policies coming out of Denver.
According to newly revised policies, Colorado counties now have the ability to apply for waivers from the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment, if they can show a steady decrease in case totals and sufficient hospital space to handle COVID patients, along with some other parameters. Eagle County, home to the rich and famous living in Vail, has already received its waiver, and it appears Mesa County will soon get one as well.
Apparently, Weld County commissioners believe they can open their businesses without the need for waivers.
Weld County has issued its own public health guidelines, that read, in part:
SAFER AT WORK: COVID-19: BEST PRACTICES FOR REOPENING BUSINESSES
Our goal is to support you in safely reopening businesses as we enter this first phase of relaxing restrictions. Your customers and staff will have confidence they are safe when they see your business following best practices to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Try to limit group gathering sizes indoors to 10 or less even when ensuring social distancing. Remember seniors and those with compromised immune systems or chronic health conditions are at greater risk of getting very sick from COVID-19. Consider posting warning signs or adapting your operations for these folks, especially if your business focuses on young families with children. The more you combine best practices, the safer your staff and customers will feel. Let’s continue to control the spread of COVID-19 together.
ENSURE SOCIAL DISTANCING PRACTICES AT ALL TIMES. All customers and staff should maintain six feet of separation at all times. COVID-19 spreads mainly among people who are in close contact. Social distancing tips include:
- Limit the number of customers in your business at one time
- Encourage customers to call ahead and make an appointment
- Keep your door locked and have customers call when they arrive
- Use floor markings to indicate where customers should stand to maintain six feet of separation. Post social distancing reminders throughout your facility…
Weld County isn’t doing all that great, in terms of infections, if you believe the numbers coming from John Hopkins University. The county-by-county map you can access at this website shows Weld County with an infection rate of 430 cases per 100,000, and 82 COVID deaths in a county of about 250,000 population. The darker colors on the map indicate higher per capita infection rates.
For comparison, the Denver Metro Area just to the south of Weld County appears to have an infection rate of around 300 cases per 100,000.
The rate in Archuleta County, with just 8 confirmed cases, is currently “58 per 100,000”. Neighboring Conejos County has zero confirmed cases.
According to the Denver Post, Governor Jared Polis promised on Friday to “take whatever steps necessary” to protect people’s health.
“Weld has had a very high number of cases — it’s a hot spot — and this is not the time to further ease off of restrictions, even beyond what the state is trying to allow,” Polis said on a conference call with reporters. “We want to work with the commissioners — we don’t want to participate in political games…”
Polis urged Weld County commissioners to submit a plan to the state if they wish to ease some of the state’s restrictions.
Commissioner Freeman told 1310 KFKA Radio that the county is not picking “winners or losers.”
“This will be for businesses, in general, to open across the board. I think the governor’s been pretty clear all along that his orders are unenforceable.” The full Board of Commissioners approved the plan, which would allow bars and restaurants to reopen, in conflict with the Governor’s ban on their reopening until mid-May.
“We’ve been picking winners and losers in this state for the last six weeks, or however long it’s been,” Commissioner Freeman said. “We made a decision — not us; the governor made a decision of what is an essential business. I have no idea how you determine that pot shops are essential businesses, but those were included in this.”
On Friday, Polis warned that counties can lose state emergency preparedness grants — and businesses could lose their licenses to operate. “If they’re unilaterally saying ‘we’re not going to follow health and safety guidance’… that’s endangering lives. As governor, I’m going to act to prevent that in Weld County…”