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My Fellow Coloradans,
These are trying times for our state, for our country, and for the world.
The threat posed by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has forced us to take drastic measures to protect the health and safety of the public -- especially those who are most vulnerable like older Coloradans and those with underlying health conditions.
Over the past few weeks, my team and I have been working around the clock, doing everything we can to keep Coloradans safe.
Today, I took the extraordinary step of issuing a “Stay at Home” order for the entire state of Colorado in order to stop the spread of the virus. The order will take effect on Thursday, March 26 at 6:00 a.m. and will last until April 11, 2020.
As a former business owner, I know that this will be devastating news to workers and small business owners across our state. But the economic impact of the COVID-19 crisis will be longer and more severe if we don’t do everything we can to slow the spread of the virus.
This executive order means Coloradans should not leave their homes except for critical activities including:
- Obtaining food and other household goods including medicine, alcohol and cannabis products
- Going to and from work if you are a critical employee
- Seeking medical care
- Caring for dependents or pets
- Caring for a vulnerable person in another location
- Participating in outdoor recreation in your area at a legally-mandated safe distance of six feet or more from other parties
You can read the full order here.
You can read the FAQ here.
You can read the public health order here.
And you can watch the press conference where I announced the order here.
I know that these changes to our daily lives are disappointing, inconvenient, and unsettling.
But we need to do everything we can to save the lives of Coloradans -- parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles -- maybe even yours.
Reducing contact with others will help to slow the spread of the virus, and will help to ensure that our health care system has enough doctors, nurses, beds, ventilators, and other crucial equipment to care for every patient that needs critical medical attention. If too many people get severely sick at once, our health care system won’t be able to handle it, and without proper treatment, many more of our family members, friends, and neighbors will succumb to this deadly virus. That is why we need to take these drastic actions.
Every one of us has an obligation to our communities, our state, and our country to take this seriously and Just. Stay. Home.
The coming weeks and months will be tough, but they will be temporary. And if we do right by each other, we will come out the other side stronger.
In order to ensure that we weather this storm as best we can, this email is intended to provide you with information on how to keep you and your loved ones safe, how to help others in need, and how to stay informed about what the state is doing to address both the public health challenges and the economic challenges that this virus presents.
Take care of yourself and each other during this trying time, and please stay home unless it’s absolutely essential that you go out.
Sincerely,
Governor Jared Polis
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Colorado COVID-19 Relief Fund
We’ve also been inundated with calls from across the state from folks who want to know how they can help.
So we’ve launched the COVID-19 Relief Fund to capture those donations, which will be used to pay for things like medical supplies, cleaning supplies, food services, child care for emergency workers, behavioral health support, and so much more.
Visit www.HelpColoradoNow.org to donate today! Every dollar counts!
And if you’re an organization that is helping with the response, you will be able to apply for funds starting early next week.
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Help Colorado Now
We know that Coloradans aren’t just financially generous -- they’re generous with their time, their energy, and their effort. That’s why we launched our official volunteer effort: Help Colorado Now.
We are looking for volunteers -- especially those who are current or retired health care professionals -- to help at-risk individuals all across our state with a wide variety of support including health care assistance, mental wellness support, food bank distribution, child care services, and more.
So please visit www.helpcoloradonow.org to sign up to be a volunteer or volunteer leader, and if you are an organization, government agency or non-profit seeking volunteer assistance, we can match you with volunteers in your area or volunteers available virtually.
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COVID-19 Webpage
Our administration recently unveiled the COVID-19 webpage -- covid19.colorado.gov/. This resource will keep you up-to-date on the latest statistics and the latest guidance on how we can protect ourselves and protect our most vulnerable populations.
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DONATING BLOOD
In addition to the need for funding and volunteers -- we also have an urgent need for blood donations. Blood banks are reporting a sharp drop in donations, attributed to fears about contracting COVID-19.
We want to clear up any misinformation: donating blood is a safe process and people should not be concerned about giving or receiving blood during this challenging time. And while blood isn’t needed for coronavirus treatment, it’s urgently needed for all of the other medical issues that crop up. We need more healthy donors to give now to prevent a blood shortage.
So please visit www.vitalant.org, to find a blood drive or donation center near you.
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Federal Loan Assistance for Colorado’s Small Businesses
Colorado small businesses throughout all 64 counties impacted by COVID-19 can seek individual small business loans up to $2M as part of the Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan program. The SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans assistance provides low-interest federal loans for working capital to Colorado small businesses that have realized economic injury from COVID-19.
Funding was appropriated through the US congressional Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act. Small businesses, private non-profit organizations, small agricultural cooperatives and small aquaculture enterprises impacted by COVID-19 can seek federal loans to pay key needs such as fixed debts, payroll, and accounts payable.
Eligibility information, loan application links and emerging economic recovery resources can all be found at choosecolorado.com.
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Unemployment Insurance
Many Coloradans have been financially impacted by the COVID-19 crisis.
If you have lost your job or lost wages due to closures resulting from the state’s efforts to stop the spread of the virus, please file for unemployment insurance here.
The federal government is working on additional unemployment measures to help those who have been financially impacted.
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Staying Healthy
The best thing you can do right now is to obey the “Stay at Home” order, and practice good hygiene and social distancing in order to keep yourself and others safe -- especially vulnerable populations like older Coloradans and those with underlying health conditions.
Here are some tips:
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Practice social distancing from others -- at least six feet apart.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
- Stay home when you are sick and keep your children home if they are sick.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
- If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
- If someone at your home is sick, avoid sharing dishes, drinking glasses, cups, eating utensils, towels, or bedding with other people in your home. After using these items, wash them thoroughly with soap and water.
- Choose a separate room in your home that can be used to separate sick household members from those who are healthy. Identify a separate bathroom for the sick person to use, if possible. Plan to clean these rooms as needed when someone is sick. All of these ways of preventing the spread of CO-VID 19 are also effective in preventing the transmission of the flu or seasonal colds. Smart hygiene practices make us all healthier.
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