Jefferson County Moved to Level Yellow on COVID-19 Dial 3.0

From Jefferson County Public Health:

On April 7, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) alerted Jefferson County Public Health (JCPH) that the county will be moved to Level Yellow: Concern on the state’s Dial 3.0, effective Friday, April 9 at 6 a.m. At that time, Jefferson County community members and businesses must follow the more restrictive Level Yellow requirements and capacity limits per CDPHE’s Tenth Amended Public Health Order 20-36.

“Unfortunately we are slipping in the wrong direction, and we have seen an increase in the COVID-19 case incidence rate, test positivity rate and hospitalizations in Jeffco,” said Dr. Dawn Comstock, Executive Director, JCPH. “This pushes us past our Level Blue limits and into Level Yellow. None of us want to go backwards on the Dial after all of the hard work we’ve put in and sacrifices we’ve made. I urge everyone to stay committed to COVID-19 prevention actions — wear your mask, keep 6 ft. distance and avoid gatherings.”

During March 31-April 6, there were 832 cases of COVID-19 (142.7 per 100,000) in Jefferson County. The seven-day COVID-19 case incidence rate limit, including a buffer allowance, for Level Blue is 115 cases per 100,000 people (for five consecutive days). The majority of new cases are among adults ages 20-39, which is expected given this population just recently became eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Regarding active outbreaks, the majority are within schools and non-regulated businesses (e.g., offices and retail). Other factors contributing to the increase in community spread include significantly decreased social distancing as well as circulation of virus variants.

The following changes are now effective in Jeffco under Dial 3.0’s Level Yellow. The countywide mask order remains in effect and all residents and visitors are required to wear a mask in all indoor public spaces when 6 feet distancing cannot be maintained from non-household members. (Where the state’s Executive Order D 2021 079 is more restrictive for mask-wearing, residents should follow those requirements).

• Restaurants are limited to 50% of the posted occupancy limit, not to exceed 150 people per room. Last call is at 1 a.m.
• Bars must close unless they serve food.
• Indoor events are limited to 50% of the posted occupancy limit, not to exceed 150 people per room within usable space. Usable space for seated events and unseated events with fewer than 50 people is calculated by using 6-feet distancing between non-household contacts. For unseated events with more than 50 people, usable space should be calculated using the Distancing Space Calculator.
• Outdoor events are limited to 50% of the posted occupancy limit, not to exceed 175 people within the usable space per designated area calculated using the Distancing Space Calculator. If the event is seated, usable space should be calculated by using 6-foot distancing between non-household members.
• Recreation, including gyms, rec centers and pools, is limited to 50% capacity, not to exceed 50 people per room indoors or activity area outdoors. Establishments larger than 7,200 square feet may use the Distancing Space Calculator to expand to 100 patrons per room within their usable space.
• Organized sports are limited to 25 players, excluding coaches, referees and umpires.
• Outdoor guided activities are limited to 50% capacity, not to exceed 10 people.
• Youth camps are limited to 10 participants indoors and 25 participants outdoors.
• Businesses certified under the Five-Star Certification Program in Jefferson County may operate under Level Blue limits.

“There are some important occasions coming up in the next several months — graduations, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and the much anticipated start of summer. It’s important that we take the necessary steps now to reverse this trend, so we have the opportunity to celebrate the things and people we love and enjoy. We missed many of these special occasions last year, but if we work hard now it doesn’t have to be the case for 2021,” Dr. Comstock said.

For more information about Dial 3.0 and requirements for various activities, visit www.jeffco.us/4047/Dial-Status or covid19.colorado.gov/covid-19-dial. You can also find information about JCPH’s local mask order, COVID-19 data, testing locations, vaccination information and more at www.jeffco.us/coronavirus.

Joel Newton

Joel has been a resident of Edgewater, Colorado with his family since 2012. He is the Executive Director of local education nonprofit Edgewater Collective and Editor of the Edgewater Echo.