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.
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:
