August 2020 NEW COMMUNITY TESTING SITES Today, Governor Polis was joined by local, county, state officials, and public health officials to announce the opening of two new community testing sites in Aurora and Adams County. The new testing site in Aurora is at the Aurora Sports Park. Referrals and health insurance or identification are not needed to be tested. The Adams County site at Water World will have the capacity to test up to 2,500 Coloradans per day, and information for visitors will be provided in Farsi, Hmong, and Spanish, among other languages. Both sites in Aurora and Adams County are completely free to the public and Coloradans should receive their results in four days or less. With the openings of these new sites at the Aurora Sports Complex and at Water World, testing is now free, quick, and easy. There is no need for a doctor’s referral, health insurance or identification at either site. The Governor emphasized the importance of local public health agencies and communities in slowing the spread of the virus and responding at the local level. The Governor also highlighted the sites as a product of the collaborative efforts between the state and the City of Aurora and Adams County, which empowers communities across the state to step up, take more control over the virus, and take more control over their own economic destiny. EMPOWERING LOCAL CONTROL The state is dedicated to continuing the trend of empowering local public health agencies to respond effectively to the needs of their communities. And by standing up new community testing sites, Colorado is tapping into the culture of collaboration that exists in every corner of our state to strengthen our COVID-19 response. Local public health agencies, cities, and counties in Colorado should lead by example to: Use the resources the state has provided; Set up testing sites and make it easy for people to get tested; Encourage community members to get tested; Enforce the mask ordinance and promote mask wearing; And foster a sense of unity and responsibility so that people understand that we all have an obligation to each other to do the right thing. To complement local efforts, individuals should: Keep a safe distance of 6 feet or more; Wear a mask; Wash your hands frequently; Avoid large gatherings and crowded areas; And protect at-risk populations like older Coloradans and those with pre-existing health conditions. This is a crucial time in our fight against the spread of COVID-19. As cases rise in some of our neighboring states, and with flu season right around the corner, we have to keep our guard up – especially now. That is why new testing sites, control at the local level, and taking personal responsibility, are so important. There is no reason why a severe outbreak in one corner of our state should cause any region to have to shut down. But if left unchecked, this virus will spread rapidly, and we will have no choice but to impose severe restrictions in order to save lives and preserve the capacity of our hospital system. We must all do right by each other, protect each other, and do our part. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ Visit Website Office of Governor Jared Polis | 136 State Capitol , Denver, CO 80203 Unsubscribe [email protected] Update Profile | About our service provider Sent by [email protected]