Colors have replaced numbers on the state’s COVID dial framework, which outlines the level of health guidelines in place for counties.
The switch, which was announced in a new public health order released Tuesday, aims to streamline and clarify the information, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
The new color-coded dial integrates Protect Our Neighbors, Safer at Home and Stay at Home orders and makes a series of technical updates requested by stakeholders, according to CDPHE.
Boulder County as of Wednesday morning was at Level Yellow: Concern status, but on Oct. 26 public health officials warned that increasing COVID-19 cases could mean the county could have to move to Safer at Home Level 3 on the state dial, which is now Level Orange: High Risk on the dial. A move to that status would further restricts the number of people who can be at a business, restaurant or workplace, and decreases gathering sizes for events and fitness activities.
Among the most significant changes to the dial system, according to CDPHE:
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Dial levels will be identified by color and numbers will be removed from the Safer-At-Home levels. “This change is intended to be more easily understood by Coloradans already accustomed to existing color-coded warning systems,” according to CDPHE.
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Gatherings are limited to a maximum of 10 people from no more than two households for levels blue, yellow, and orange. Gatherings are prohibited for counties in the red status.
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Places of worship do not need to use the spacing calculator for seated events, but seated parishioners should be at least 6 feet apart from other households, according to CDPHE. Outdoor worship is always permitted.
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Indoor events in counties at the Orange: Safer at Home, High Risk level are limited to 25% occupancy limit or 50 people, whichever is fewer.
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Outdoor events guidance in the Orange: Safer at Home, High Risk level are limited to 25% occupancy limit or 75 people, whichever is fewer.
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In-person learning for preschool through grade 12 schools are now defined as critical businesses, which clarifies that local districts can make determinations on how to structure their format based on local factors, according to CDPHE.
Updated capacity limits for all five color-coded levels on the dial can be viewed here.
“We are at a pivotal juncture. We need to change course in November to prevent more Coloradans from getting severely sick. The dial is a critical tool, but regardless of any public health order, we need everyone to step up,” Jill Hunsaker Ryan, executive director of CDPHE, stated in Monday news release. “We need everyone to fully participate in mitigation tactics — like wearing a mask, distancing a minimum of 6 feet from others, and not interacting with other households — if we are to suppress the spread of COVID-19 in advance of the holiday season.”
