Colorado’s COVID-19 Dial 3.0 released today

NEWS RELEASE
COLORADO DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT

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As more Coloradans are eligible to get vaccinated and choose to do so, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has released the latest update to Colorado’s COVID-19 dial framework: Dial 3.0. The updated dial public health order goes into effect Wednesday, March 24. State officials expect that Dial 3.0 will remain in effect until mid-April, at which point the state plans to retire the dial and implement a new public health order that gives greater control over capacity restrictions to local public health agencies.

CDPHE shared a draft of the new dial on Friday, March 19, and Coloradans, partners, and stakeholders offered feedback over the weekend.

Dial 3.0 makes it easier for counties to move into Level Green: Protect Our Neighbors, the least restrictive level on the dial. It also removes many of the restrictions that currently apply at that level. Additionally, several restrictions in Level Blue are loosened in Dial 3.0. “Coloradans have made great sacrifices to protect ourselves and our communities from COVID-19 over the past year,” said Jill Hunsaker Ryan, executive director, CDPHE. “While this is still a time for caution, these changes to the Dial better reflect where we are in the pandemic today, and the balance we are trying to strike between disease suppression and economic hardship.”

Dial 3.0 metrics are further simplified and capacity limits are less restrictive. Download a PDF of the updated metrics and capacity limits. The state will work with counties to confirm their metrics under the new framework.

The main changes in the Dial 3.0, which is expected to be in place from March 24 to mid-April, are:

• The metrics for Level Green: Protect Our Neighbors have changed. These changes make it easier for counties to achieve Protect Our Neighbors status. Now, counties qualify for Protect Our Neighbors if they have up to 35 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people -- up from 15 cases.
• There is no longer a certification process for Level Green: Protect Our Neighbors. Counties will be moved into Level Green once they maintain the appropriate metrics for at least one week.
• Most restrictions in Level Green: Protect Our Neighbors are now removed. Bars and indoor events must still adhere to a 50% capacity limit or a 500-person cap, whichever is fewer.
• The metrics range for Level Blue is now 36 - 100 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people.
• Bars can now open under Level Blue. The capacity limit is 25% capacity or 75 people, whichever is fewer.
• Outdoor events in Levels Green and Blue no longer have state-level capacity restrictions under the dial. Counties may choose to implement capacity restrictions on outdoor events at the local level.
• Retail, offices, and non-critical manufacturing in Level Blue may now open to 75% capacity, up from 50%.
• There is no longer a state limit on personal gathering sizes. The state will follow CDC’s guidance on personal gatherings. The CDC still strongly recommends avoiding larger gatherings and crowds to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
• 5 Star restaurants and gyms in Levels Blue and Yellow may operate at 100% capacity with 6 feet of distance between parties as a way to provide businesses with increased flexibility, while still limiting indoor mass gatherings. The state expects that maintaining a 6 foot distancing requirement will be a limiting factor for most indoor spaces.
• 5 Star certified seated and unseated indoor events may operate at 50% capacity with a 500-person limit in Level Blue. 5 Star seated indoor events in Level Yellow may operate at 50% capacity with a 225 person limit and unseated indoor events in Level Yellow may operate at 50% capacity with a 175 person limit.

Read the summary of changes.

“Local public health agencies are so grateful to help the state in the development of Dial 3.0, while also planning for the next step. While we are all excited to move into this new era, Coloradoans need to remain diligent in practicing basic public health prevention measures, like wearing a face covering, social distancing, and avoiding large indoor gatherings. These continue to be critical to slowing the transmission of COVID-19, and these steps will allow our businesses to open at greater capacities and will keep our kids at school, learning in-person,” said Tom Gonzales, executive director, Larimer Public Health.

The dial framework, originally implemented on September 15, 2020, standardizes the levels of openness or restrictions on a county level, based on the metrics of disease transmission, the level of local testing, and hospitalizations. It is a tool that allows Colorado to tailor its response on a county level, recognizing that conditions will vary locally.

The updated dial does not change Colorado’s current statewide mask mandate. Separate from the dial changes, the current mask Executive Order expires April 3, and at that time, the Governor may choose to make modifications. The state released modified mask order components as part of the Dial 3.0 stakeholder engagement process. Feedback received as part of that process will be considered prior to April 3. COVID-19 still presents risks to healthy Coloradans, so everyone should continue to take precautions until the vaccine becomes widely available and used.

Continue to stay up to date by visiting covid19.colorado.gov.

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