Mayor Brian Bagley is still criticizing Weld County for its handling of COVID-19 cases even though he backed off on his proposed ordinance to bar local hospitals from treating Weld patients in favor of Longmont residents.
Bagley endorsed a resolution unanimously pushed by the city council Tuesday night to admonish Weld County for not backing state mandates to halt the the advance of the virus. The council also is backing state legislation that would deny counties — including Weld County — from emergency COVID-19 funding if they refuse to follow state mandates to halt the advance of the virus.
Bagley said the resolution calls out Weld County for ignoring state COVID-19 mandates, even as the county’s COVID-19 positivity rate is 15.4% while Boulder County is at 6.7%, said City Manager Harold Dominguez.
Bagley fears sick Weld residents will come to hospitals in neighboring communities for treatment and take up beds and resources that should be reserved for residents in communities that have followed health department rules to slow the spread of COVID.
“It’s like a neighbor bringing mud into your house … or flicking a cigarette butt into your backyard,” Bagley said Tuesday night.
The resolution — which faces formal vote of the city council next week — asks that neighboring communities including Loveland and Fort Collins also admonish Weld County to follow COVID-19 mandates.
Councilmember Polly Christensen said Weld County commissioners should be targeted for ignoring health edicts that are likely saving lives.
“I agree their behavior is irresponsible and will cause deaths,” Christensen said.
Small businesses will continue to fail because of the inaction of the commissioners, she said. “Some of these businesses will never come back.”
The bill now being considered during the special session of the Colorado Legislature, would withhold direct-aid payments to small businesses and arts organizations in counties that don’t follow Colorado Department of Health and Environment rules aimed at slowing the pandemic, according to the Colorado Sun.
Weld County commissioners have refused to comply with the restrictions that come with the Colorado Department of Health Department of Public Health and Environment placing the county on red status on the state’s COVID-19 dial dashboard.
Their decision prompted Bagley to lobby for an ordinance to force Longmont hospitals to pick Longmont residents or other residents from cities that have adhered to state COVID mandates, over Weld County residents for treatment.
Last week, Bagley backed off the ordinance, saying he wanted to bring attention to the issue of Weld County ignoring COVID health rules. The ordinance was most likely illegal, said the Colorado Hospital Association.
Correction: City council is proposing sending a letter in support of the COVID-19 legislation. It is not included in the planned resolution.
