As reported Monday evening on Ark Valley Voice, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has issued a public health order to close bars, restaurants, gyms, theaters, and casinos to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus, effective at 8:00 a.m. on March 17 for the next 30 days. The public health order is intended to help the state slow and limit the spread of COVID-19 in Colorado communities.
The dining area of La Herradura in Buena Vista. Image by Henry DeKam.
“We understand the gravity of this public health order, and the disruption it will cause,” said Jill Hunsaker Ryan, executive director, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. “But we are weighing this disruption against the need to save lives.”
“Based on the experience of other countries, the state of Washington, and modeling data, the sooner we begin social distancing measures on a large enough scale, the more quickly we can slow transmission of the virus, which translates into less people requiring hospitalization at the same time and more lives saved,” added Ryan.
Establishments may continue to offer food and beverage using delivery service, window service, walk-up service, drive-through service, or drive-up service, and must use precautions in doing so to mitigate the potential transmission of COVID-19, including social distancing.
Establishments may allow up to five members of the public at one time on the premises for the purpose of picking up their food or beverage orders, so long as those individuals are at least six feet apart from one another. This means that restaurants and cafes can continue to offer take-out or carry-out delivery as a way of maintaining some level of business activity.
Buena Vista restaurant. Simple Eats. Courtesy image.
In addition, the order does not apply to grocery stores, markets, convenience stores, pharmacies, drug stores, food pantries, room service in hotels, health care facilities, residential care facilities, congregate care facilities, juvenile justice facilities, crisis shelters or similar institutions, airport concessionaires, and any emergency facilities necessary for the response to these events.
The declaration is being enforced, with possible enforcement actions include fines or the possibility of filing an action in court. The main goal of all public health orders is compliance to protect the health and wellbeing of all Coloradans.
Read the entire public health order here.
The state is encouraging residents to stay up to to date by visiting colorado.gov/cdphe/2019-novel-coronavirus.
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