With local cases of COVID-19 at an “astronomical” level, Pitkin County will voluntarily move to Red level restrictions for nearly all sectors starting Tuesday.
The only two exceptions to the Red level will be restaurants — which will be allowed to operate at current 25% indoor capacity with a 9:30 p.m. last call and hard close at 10 p.m. — and indoor events that followed the rules and submitted safety plans by Sunday.
The county’s request last week to extend last call in Aspen to 11 p.m. during the two-week period around Christmas was denied by Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Director Jill Hunsacker Ryan, said Jordana Sabella, the county’s interim public health director. With a skyrocketing incidence rate, Ryan said the county should implement more restrictions not less, according to Sabella.
“Our Orange-plus (level restrictions implemented a month ago) have not worked to bring our incidence rate down,” Sabella said Monday during a hastily called meeting of the Pitkin County Board of Health. “It continues to grow at an exponential rate and that is concerning.”
Members of the board of health debated whether to impose the gamut of Red level restrictions, though they decided against doing so a by razor-thin 4-3 vote. While there was concern about restaurants being able to make money, the majority felt that closing them during the holiday period would only force people into private social gatherings that have shown to be particularly virulent in spreading COVID-19.
Instead, the board adopted what many termed “Orange-plus-plus” level restrictions, which are mainly Red.
That means beginning Tuesday, no indoor personal gatherings will be allowed in Pitkin County at all. Residents and visitors alike will only be able to socialize with members of their own household, which will apply to local restaurant’s in that only members of the same household will be able to be seated together at a table and lodging situations.
Indoor events will be canceled, except the seven events already permitted by Pitkin County Public Health through Jan. 4. That number is suspiciously low for this time of year, leading Sabella to say she suspected that many planned gatherings did not file safety plans. Board members decided to reward those who followed the rules and honor them.
Outdoor events will be allowed to continue at 25% capacity or a maximum of 60 people.
Those events, however, will not include Aspen’s traditional New Year’s Eve fireworks display, which Aspen City Councilwoman Ann Mullins said was canceled. The city council felt the fireworks would only encourage people to gather, she said.
Retail businesses will be allowed to continue to operate at 50% capacity, but gyms and offices must cap their numbers at 10% of capacity starting Tuesday.
Schools and ski operations will not be affected by the new public health order.
This is a developing story that will be updated.
The Link LonkDecember 22, 2020 at 09:04PM
https://www.postindependent.com/news/pitkin-county-moving-to-red-level-restrictions-for-nearly-every-sector/
Pitkin County moving to Red level restrictions for nearly every sector - Glenwood Springs Post Independent
https://news.google.com/search?q=Red&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en
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