Hart Van Denburg/CPR News
Mike Hartkom, wearing the green shirt, owns Solar Roast Coffee based in Pueblo and juggles how to keep his business open, and his employees and customers healthy, during the coronavirus pandemic. He speaks with his Colorado Springs store manager Sheena Hendricksen as barista Brian Galvadon, left, and assistant manager Lexy Hesselberg, help customers on Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2020.
El Paso County is moving forward with the state s 5 Star State Certification Program, which allows for increased capacity at local businesses by following certain COVID-19 safety measures.
The county, along with others across the state, was moved by Gov. Jared Polis to a less stringent level of COVID-19 restrictions on Monday. This allowed restaurants to reopen indoor dining at 25 percent capacity, along with allowances for indoor events and gyms.
Late on December 30, Governor Jared Polis announced on social media that on Monday, January 4, all of the state s counties currently at Level Red on the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment COVID dashboard dial will move to Level Orange. He credited improving COVID-19 stats in the state for making the change possible.
As a result, many businesses will see loosened regulations this week. Restaurants, for example, will be able to resume indoor dining at 25 percent capacity or a maximum of fifty customers. But still, that s a big change from the closed dining rooms of Level Red, particularly since it s coupled with last call moving back to 10 p.m.
LA Junta Tribune
COVID-19 vaccines continue to be administered in Otero County. Last week, Sheriff Shawn Mobley was among those who received a vaccine under the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment s rollout of vaccines statewide.
Mobley made a statement on Facebook as he used the social media platform to check in at Otero County Health Department for his shot. I made the personal choice to receive the vaccine after a great deal of research and conversations with medical professionals across the western United States, Mobley wrote in the post. As a Cop, I believe about 10% of what I hear and maybe 75% of what I see and do my own damned research, which leaves all the social media B.S. out. I will not shame you as I respect your views, your rights and your choices, and I made mine and am comfortable with it. I’m ready to get all the COVID crap behind us and resume life as God intended.
Santa Claus delivered a present a day early as 33 Douglas County businesses can now operate at 25% indoor capacity under the state s 5-Star Certification Program.
Douglas County, one of the first counties to apply for the program, was informed Wednesday by the Colorado Department of Health and Environment that it had completed 10 days of stable and declining hospitalizations and may now authorize certified businesses to open, according to a news release from Douglas County.
Beginning Wednesday evening, 18 restaurants, 14 gyms and fitness centers and one indoor event venue can operate at a higher capacity limit than the state s COVID-19 dial ordinarily allows.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is in the process of rolling out its new 5 Star State Certification Program to augment the existing color-coded COVID health and safety dial. The program would allow restaurants to apply for certification in order to do business one level up from the current color level of their county.
The City and County of Denver is currently under Level Red restrictions, which prohibit any indoor dining but earning the 5 Star certification would allow a business to open at Level Orange rules, so a restaurant could seat diners indoors at 25 percent capacity (or a maximum of fifty people, whichever is lower).