Colorado retired its statewide COVID-19 dial Friday, giving local counties and municipalities more local control over pandemic regulations and capacity restrictions.
The state will maintain some limited requirements, but restrictions can now be determined at the local level. However, with Pueblo’s COVID-19 cases continuing to rise, the Pueblo Department of Public Health and Environment has opted to remain in Level Yellow under the state s dial framework.
PDPHE Director Randy Evetts explained the decision to remain in yellow to Pueblo County commissioners on Thursday.
“The current state of our COVID infection in the county is that we are seeing a pretty sharp increase in numbers. We’ve had almost 500 cases in the last seven days,” Evetts said.
The backslide on the dial from Level Blue, where the county had operated since Feb. 6, to Level Yellow means additional restrictions for Pueblo, including increased capacity restrictions on businesses.
The move to Level Yellow will result in the following restrictions for businesses that have not been certified through the Pueblo City and County 5 Star Variance Program:
Restaurants must now reduce capacity to 50% or 150 people, whichever is fewer.
Last call will shift from 2 a.m. to 1 a.m.
Non-critical manufacturers move to 50% capacity or 50 people.
Offices will go back to 50% capacity with remote work strongly encouraged.
Bars, which could operate at 25% capacity under Level Blue, must again close.
Pueblo officials gathered to discuss COVID-19 chieftain.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from chieftain.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Axes, knives and throwing stars being aimed and launched through the air by people hoping to lodge them deep into the heart of a target may sound like a scene from a culturally confusing action movie, but at Jack’s Axe Throwing in Pueblo, it’s a fun, family-friendly activity.
“It’s really about the experience,” said Bryan Rossmanith, the business’ owner and founder.
“It’s something no one has really done in this manner. Maybe some people have thrown axes in the woods or maybe were in Boy Scouts and did it a really long time ago, but never really organized in the manner that we do it.”