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June 2020


** Protecting DREAMers
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This morning, Governor Polis released a statement after the United States Supreme Court upheld the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program that protects hundreds of thousands of DREAMers across the United States.

“Here in Colorado, we know our immigrants make our state, and our country, a stronger and a better place to live. Immigrants enrich our communities. I am thrilled that the thousands of DREAMers in Colorado will no longer be forced to live in fear and am glad the court made the right decision, although we still need Congress to act and create a pathway to citizenship. This is a historic moment for our country. Now is the time for the federal government to work together on bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform.”


** Balancing Risks and Benefits of Activities During COVID-19
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Colorado remains the only state in the Pacific or Mountain time zones -- the entire western half of the country -- that is seeing a steady decline in case counts.

That is a testament to Coloradans continuing to take the pandemic seriously and take the proper precautions: wearing masks, keeping our distance from others, practicing proper hygiene, and protecting vulnerable populations like older Coloradans and those with underlying health conditions.

As the state continues to reopen, more of the burden is placed on individuals to do the right thing. We have to use common sense and consider the level of risk when participating in certain activities.

Before participating in an activity, Coloradans have an obligation to ask themselves:
* How many other people will be participating in this activity?
* Is the activity outside?
* Can I put distance between myself and others?
* How long will the activity take?
* Do I feel 100% healthy?
* How will I get there? Biking, walking, driving in a car are safer than public transportation.
* Do I live with someone who is more vulnerable to COVID-19, and would be at high risk if I happened to bring the virus home?
* And what is the value of this activity to me versus the risk I am taking?

Things like camping, hiking, biking, outdoor exercise/activities, or shopping outdoors at a farmer’s market are fairly Low Risk activities.

Things like dining out, playing on the playground, shopping indoors, or visiting a swimming pool carry a Medium Risk.

And then activities like airline travel, concerts, attending worship services in-person, personal services, bars, gyms, or large gatherings carry a Higher Risk.

So please exercise personal responsibility, use common sense, and err on the side of caution.

Visit
covid19.colorado.gov/risks-benefits for more information about how we can continue to keep ourselves and each other safe and healthy.
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** Lifting Additional Restrictions
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As we continue to balance the need to keep people safe with the need to keep our economy and society going.

Starting today:
* Residential summer camps may open with groups of 10 kids indoors, 25 kids outdoors, similar to day camps
* Indoor events can open up to 25% capacity with limits on the maximum number of people based on the size of the space.
* Outdoor events can open up to 50% capacity with limits on the maximum number of people based on the size of the space.
* Bars will be able to open at 25% or up to 50 people indoors, and must follow the same guidelines as restaurants where parties are seated and intermingling of parties is discouraged. Outdoors parties must be spaced 6ft apart, up to local capacity limits.
* Personal services will be able to expand to include things like facials, beard trimming, lip waxing, etc. where the client has to take off a mask -- these services are permitted if the worker has adequate protection.
* Non-critical manufacturing facilities can expand in-person workforce up to 50% or 50 people per room.

These steps can only be taken because Coloradans have been being smart and being diligent about protecting ourselves and others. Nobody wants to see the trendlines turn around. We must remain vigilant and continue to do our part to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
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** Telehealth Update
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As Coloradans have continued to adapt to a new reality where more and more things are done online in order to reduce in-person interactions, one of the most important developments to emerge is the use of telehealth services.

To help, the state has taken steps to make it easier for Coloradans to receive health care from the comfort and safety of their own home using a:
* Mobile phone;
* Computer; or
* Home phone

The Office of E-Health Innovation made Colorado a leader in telehealth before this pandemic, and has gone above and beyond in recent months to expand telehealth options for residents.

Governor Polis took executive action at the beginning of this pandemic to ensure that insurers, including Indian Health Services and Medicaid, continue to reimburse providers for telehealth services. And the legislature followed suit, passing legislation to protect that access.

Today, the Governor announced another initiative: a centralized website -- healthathome.colorado.go ([link removed]) v ([link removed]) -- for Coloradans to get information about telehealth.
The Health at Home Colorado website, available in English and Spanish, is intended to encourage visitors to engage in virtual visits with their provider, through their insurance, or find free resources for accessing virtual care.

In addition, the site includes a toolkit with campaign materials that can be used by community partners to increase the awareness of virtual care. This is incredibly important for Coloradans in rural and mountain communities so they can access care without traveling long distances, and a lifeline for those served by federally qualified health centers.

The more people use telehealth, the more interactions we can avoid, and the more we can do to suppress COVID-19.


** Protecting our Seniors
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We know that long-term care facilities are particularly vulnerable to outbreaks, given the age of the residents, the likelihood of underlying health conditions, and close proximity between residents.

So the state is glad to report that Columbine Health Systems -- which had the first long-term care facility to experience an outbreak in Colorado -- now has zero positive tests and zero residents with symptoms.

The Governor thanks everyone who has been involved with the effort to respond to outbreaks in long-term care facilities -- CO National Guard, CDPHE, Colorado State University, and other partners. The extraordinary steps we are taking to protect older Coloradans and those with underlying health conditions are working, and we must continue to protect these vulnerable populations during this pandemic.

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