As the Colorado COVID-19 Dial 3.0 expires this week, Boulder County is set to issue modifications to restriction levels.
The Colorado COVID-19 Dial 3.0 was released on March 24 allowing counties to move between levels easier, according to the state’s website.
The dial will expire on tomorrow, allowing for a new public health order that gives greater control to the local public health agencies, states the website.
Boulder County has adopted a dial system, similar to the state’s. Beginning Friday, the county will more to Level Blue on the county’s dial, if current case incidences do not exceed 300 cases per 100,000 residents and positivity rates do not climb above 7.5% before Friday.
As of today, Boulder County data shows there have been 140.9 cases per 100,000 people over the last seven days and the positivity rate is hovering around 5%.
Once the county enters into Level Blue it will remain there for the next 30 days. If cast numbers or the positivity rates climb before Friday, the county will remain in Level Yellow.Level Blue will allow local businesses to allow indoor seated events and all outdoor events to operate with six feet of distancing between people of different households, states a news release from Boulder County.
Businesses participating in the 5-Star Program in Boulder County can continue to operate below dial levels while the county remains in any capacity-restricted level, according to the news release.
“We are working in close partnership with the state and our metro partners to ensure restrictions gradually ease and allow individuals and businesses to have guidance when the state’s dial expires,” said Lexi Nolen, Boulder County Public Health interim executive director. “In Boulder County, we are making great progress in vaccination. Over 53 percent of the eligible population has received at least one course of the COVID-19 vaccine. Vaccination, in combination with protective measures, such as distancing, mask wearing and continued testing when needed, will help us ease into normalcy.”
Under the new public health order, gatherings expected to exceed 500 attendees must contact Boulder County Public Health at least 14 days prior to the event and submit a plan for COVID-19 mitigation.On May 16, Boulder County plans to drop to Level Clear on the dial for a 90 day observation period under the new public health order, if hospital admissions across the county remain below an average of two per day per 100,000 residents, according to the news release.
If hospital admission levels rise above the threashold for seven consecutive days, the county will once again move back into levels and “apply level restrictions according to the hospital admissions rate,” the new release states.In Level Clear, local capacity restriction and mitigation are no longer required. “Masks may still be required under state or local order, and if the state continues any orders, those state restrictions will apply in Boulder County,” according to the news release. Currently, masks are still required in indoor public places and outside when social distancing cannot be maintained.
“Remaining at Level Clear will require all of us to remain vigilant and continue following safety guidelines in addition to getting the COVID-19 vaccine, when it is available to you,” Nolen added. “Masks are still required in all public indoor places and we recommend wearing masks outdoors if social distancing cannot be maintained.”
