July 2020 My Fellow Coloradans, As Independence Day approaches, I hope that you can take this holiday weekend to get some well-earned rest in a safe way and spend some quality time with your loved ones. We all need each other’s support during these trying times. I am proud that Colorado is doing better than our neighboring states both on virus suppression and economic recovery. That’s a testament to the people of this state doing their part: wearing masks, socially distancing, protecting vulnerable populations, and practicing proper hygiene. But that doesn’t mean that we can get comfortable. Over the past two weeks, cases have been rising slowly -- slower than most of our neighboring states, to be sure, but still rising. As we continue to work to manage this crisis, I have full confidence that in the long term, we will be able to take many steps forward. But in the immediate term, we need to take one small step back. Earlier this week, I announced that nightclubs and bars won’t be able to re-open until areas are able to enter the Protect your Neighbors phase later in in July or August. As we’ve seen across the nation and in our neighboring states, we simply aren’t ready to safely have that level of mixing and socializing in our nightlife activities. We need more time and compliance efforts to suppress this virus before a broader reopening of bars and nightclubs. It just doesn’t make sense at this critical, and fragile, stage. Colorado is currently a positive outlier -- and we all want to keep it that way so we can continue reopening rather than be forced backwards at great economic cost and the cost of lives. However, I want us to look forward with confidence. We live in a big, diverse state and while we are all connected, each community is having their own unique experience with this virus. In that vein, I announced “Protect Our Neighbors,” a framework that will set the goal posts for how communities that demonstrate strong public health and health care systems -- paired with low virus levels -- can take on more control over their reopening plans. It is my hope that many areas of the state can reach these goals by late July or August. I encourage you to visit covid19.colorado.gov/protect-our-neighbors for more information. As we look forward to the rest of the summer, especially with the holiday weekend coming up, it’s more important than ever to make sure that we’re following state public health guidelines and doing our part to be responsible. As we celebrate the 4th of July, my message to you all is this: be smart to have fun. Whether you are out enjoying Colorado’s vast outdoors or celebrating with a cookout with your family, don’t forget to take the steps to keep one another, and our communities, safe. Please avoid risky activities to make sure that we don’t overwhelm our hospitals, search and rescue, and first responders. Here are a few guidelines that Coloradans should follow: MAKE IT SAFER Choose to participate in in-person activities, keep it small, keep your distance from others, wash your hands frequently, and wear a mask. Consider a smaller gathering than in years past, and try to stay outside where transmission of coronavirus is less likely. Don’t be afraid to change your plans if you feel uncomfortable about the risk. KNOW BEFORE YOU GO Check fire bans and local COVID-19-related rules at your destination. If you plan to play in the great outdoors, be prepared with appropriate supplies. Just because we’re in the middle of a pandemic doesn’t mean we can ignore other safety rules that are meant to keep us all healthy and safe. PREVENT FIRES It’s fire season, and this year we need to be even more careful due to added threats due to COVID-19. We want to prevent situations where people have to evacuate their homes, firefighters have to deploy to camps, and the resulting smoke worsens summer air quality, which would be very bad in the middle of a pandemic where the disease attacks your respiratory system. So please skip the fireworks and campfires this year. Again, I can’t stress enough that the fate of Colorado -- in terms of both viral suppression and economic recovery -- is largely in your hands. Our economic recovery is integrally connected to our ability to suppress the virus, and our ability to suppress the virus depends on individual choice. So please, wear a mask in public, keep your distance and wash your hands frequently, so we can weather this storm together and continue to make progress against this unprecedented pandemic. I wish everyone a safe, happy, and healthy holiday weekend -- let’s make sure we celebrate responsibly. Happy Independence Day, Governor Jared Polis ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ Visit Website Office of Governor Jared Polis | 136 State Capitol , Denver, CO 80203 Unsubscribe [email protected] Update Profile | About Constant Contact Sent by [email protected]