STANDARD BLADE B R I G H T O N
SERVING THE COMMUNITY SINCE 1903
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VOLUME 118
Issue 14
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 31, 2021
Colorado makes big step toward reopening Final ‘dial 3.0’ rules could mark state’s largest change since stay-at-home ended BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
In what may amount to Colorado’s largest step toward reopening since the statewide stay-at-home order ended, the state saw nearly half of its counties move to the lowest level on the state’s “dial” system of restrictions. The state’s color-coded COVID-19 dial is the set of restrictions counties must follow based on the local spread of the virus. The system affects capacity at restaurants, other businesses, indoor and outdoor events, and other settings. Colorado originally implemented the dial on Sept. 15. Among the dial’s six levels, green is the least restrictive. Purple, the most restrictive level, is a stay-athome order. Only a few counties had qualified for level green — also known as the “protect our neighbors” stage — in the past. But when the latest changes to Colorado’s system of restrictions — dubbed “dial 3.0” — took effect on March 24, counties scattered across the state moved to level green. Twenty-eight of the state’s 64 counties were in that level as of March 26. At that point, Gilpin was the only Denver-area county operating in green. What’s more, dial 3.0 also removed most restrictions in level green altogether. Bars and indoor events must still adhere to a 50% capacity limit or a 500-person cap, whichever is fewer. The update also made it easier for counties to move into level green. The update also relaxed restrictions for certain businesses in other counties. The move to dial 3.0 could be Colorado’s largest step in reopening since the statewide stay-at-home order ended last April. It’s likely that
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State opens mass vaccination site
no other state public-health order or dial update since then has resulted in so many counties seeing such a large increase in capacity levels, according to the state public-health department. State officials expect that dial 3.0 will remain in effect until midApril, at which point the state plans to retire the dial and implement a new public health order that gives local public health agencies greater control over what restrictions to enforce, according to a March 23 news release. On March 19, the state released a draft of the dial 3.0 policies, and Coloradans were able to submit feedback by March 22. Here’s a breakdown of the final dial 3.0 policies. Bars open after long haul Among the most notable changes is that bars that do not have fullservice kitchens can now open in level-blue counties. The opening of those bars comes after roughly a year of remaining closed for inperson service. Bars that function with a fullservice kitchen or provide food from a licensed retail food establishment, such as a neighboring restaurant or food truck, were able to open along with restaurants as of May 27, according to a state fact sheet. But others remained closed to the public. On June 18, the state announced bars could open at 25% occupancy or 50 patrons, whichever is less. That change also included other drinking establishments, such as breweries, distillery pubs and clubs. What followed was a quick reversal: Just 12 days after allowing bars and nightclubs to open in-person service, a concerning uptick in COVID-19 cases fueled by young Coloradans prompted state officials to close the establishments again. “There were several factors that went into the decision to close bars again regretfully,” said a statement from the Colorado State Joint Information Center, which takes questions for the state public-health department. “Top among them was evidence that the environments
Gov. Jared Polis speaks at the opening of a new mass vaccination site at the Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City March 22. The new site’s goal is to administer up to 6,000 vaccines a day when it is up and running. Dick’s Sporting Goods Park site is one of several mass vaccination sites throughout the state. LIAM ADAMS BY LIAM ADAMS LADAMS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Gov. Jared Polis visited the new mass vaccination site at the Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City that opened March 22. Initially, the new site’s goal is to administer 2,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine a day, and eventually increase that resulted in higher-risk behavior that could lead to increased disease spread.” Now, bars can open in level blue at 25% capacity or 75 people, whichever is fewer. That would include other drinking establishments, such as brewer-
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to 6,000 a day. It was open four days a week for the first week, and it will be open more days in subsequent weeks. “We really looked for sites that are easily accessible, centrally located and of course, can accommodate,” Polis said on his visit. Dick’s Sporting Goods Park site is one of several mass vaccination sites throughout the state. ies, distillery pubs and nightclubs, according to the state information center. Many counties are in blue, including some in the Denver metro area. See a map that shows each county’s SEE VACCINE, P6
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