The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) will move La Plata County to Level Yellow: Concern, on the state’s COVID-19 Dial effective 6 am today, Friday, February 12. This more restrictive phase on the state’s public health order framework puts additional capacity restrictions on large establishments and events. Restaurants, retail, and office capacity remain at 50-precent.
Archuleta County remains at Level Blue: Caution. Visit the CDPHE website for a full list of capacity restrictions.
On February 6, Colorado made updates to the COVID dial framework to base level changes on a week’s worth of metrics rather than 14 days. The change enables counties to move more quickly between levels. The metrics that determine the boundaries between dial levels have also changed; the maximum seven-day case incidence for counties to remain in Level Blue: Caution is now 100 cases/100,000 residents.
After seven days of rising case numbers, La Plata County now has a seven-day case incidence rate of 158 cases/100,000 residents and will move into Level Yellow.
Some changes moving to Level Yellow include:
- High risk populations are advised to stay at home.
- Offices remain at 50% capacity; however remote work is strongly encouraged.
- Group sports and camps move from 50-person cap per activity, to 25-person cap per activity.
- Last call moves from 12 pm to 11 pm.
- Indoor and outdoor events remain at 50 percent capacity, with spacing requirements and an overall maximum capacity of 100 people indoors and 175 people outdoors.
SJPBH recommends businesses and schools know the restrictions at each level, especially for event planning, as restrictions are likely to change more quickly under Colorado’s new dial framework. Per CDPHE’s determination, Five-Star certified establishments in Level Yellow counties are not allowed to operate under the Level Blue protocols until the state reaches its goal of vaccinating 70% of the 70-and-older population.
“After weeks of lower metrics, La Plata County is seeing a rise in cases and test positivity rates which can be attributed in part to indoor social gatherings,” said Liane Jollon, SJBPH’s Executive Director. “Our communities have demonstrated we can be successful in fighting COVID-19. We must continue to come practice good public health practices and avoid large gatherings while vaccine is being distributed to vulnerable members of our communities,” Jollon added.
Claire Ninde is Communications Director for San Juan Basin Public Health. Learn more at https://sjbpublichealth.org/