State eases mask mandate

Curbs lifted in 31 counties, but 5.5M still must wear them

Colorado no longer will require masks to be worn in most indoor settings in the 31 counties at Level Green on the state’s color-coded COVID-19 dial, the governor’s office announced Friday.

The state’s new 30-day mask order, to be issued Saturday, still will require face coverings when groups of people are indoors across almost the entire Denver region and any other parts of Colorado where counties have more COVID-19 health restrictions in place.

In counties at Level Green, the lowest stage of restrictions, masks will be required only in schools, among congregate care visitors and in other high-risk settings such as health care facilities and hair salons, according to the modified order from Gov. Jared Polis that will be issued after the expiration Saturday of the current statewide mandate.

The new order will require masks to be worn indoors in counties at Level Blue and higher when there are public gatherings of 10 or more unvaccinated people or people for whom the vaccination status is not known.

“By continuing to wear our masks in public indoor settings around others, we can safely enjoy the activities we love and keep our economy open,” Gov. Jared Polis said in a statement.

“Every community has been impacted differently by this pandemic, and we want to ensure this order is reflective of that.”

The new order, which will expire May 2, will require masks to

be worn in counties at Level Green and all other levels on the dial in the following settings:

•Schools, including extracurricular activities and child care centers.

• Indoor children’s camps.

• Public-facing state government buildings.

•Hospitals, ambulance service centers, urgent care centers, doctor’s offices and other medical settings.

• Hair salons, nail salons, body art businesses and esthetician services.

• Congregate care facilities, prisons and jails.

The changes to the mask mandate will affect about 238,286 people who live in rural counties that are at Level Green, including those in Gunnison, Ouray, Alamosa and Lincoln counties. The rest of the state’s population — more than 5.5 million people — live in counties where masks still are required in all public indoor settings, according to a news release.

Denver remains at Level Yellow on the state’s dial, and most of the metro area is at Level Blue or Level Yellow.

Gilpin is the only county in the 10-county metro area at Level Green.

Colorado first implemented a statewide mask mandate in July to curb the spread of the coronavirus. The changes to the mandate come as state officials are planning to give local authorities more control when it comes to COVID19 policies.

Some counties have their own mask orders, including Denver, and local health authorities still are permitted to impose stricter rules than the state. Mayor Michael Hancock said Thursday he plans to keep Denver’s mask mandate in place until at least early May, regardless of what the state does.

Jefferson County, which is at Level Blue, also has its own local mask mandate that “supersedes the statewide order” so residents still must wear face coverings inside and outdoors when at least 6 feet of distancing is not possible, said Ashley Sever, spokeswoman for Jefferson County Public Health, in an email.

And San Juan Basin Public Health, which covers Archuleta and La Plata counties, moved quickly to issue a more restrictive mask mandate Friday that will require a face covering in all public indoor settings unless everyone present — not just 10 or more people — is fully vaccinated.

“A properly worn mask is extremely effective at limiting the spread of COVID-19, and science supports this,” said Liane Jollon, executive director of the agency, in a statement. “With the virus still circulating at high rates, variants present in our community, and only a portion of our population vaccinated, it’s so important we continue following public health precautions.

Archuleta County is at Level Blue, the secondlowest stage on the dial, and La Plata County is a step higher at Level Yellow. The local mask order goes into effect Saturday and will remain in place until May 3 or until either county moves to Level Green on the dial, according to a news release.

The changes to the statewide mask mandate were first detailed last month when the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment released the draft plan for it’s “Dial 3.0,” which went into effect March 24. The easing of the mask order goes into effect Sunday.

The relaxing of Colorado’s mask mandate follows moves by other states, such as Arkansas and Arizona, that have fully lifted their mask orders. It also goes against the recommendations of federal officials, including President Joe Biden, who has asked states to keep mask mandates in place to help slow the spread of the coronavirus.

Despite relaxing the mask mandate, the Department of Public Health and Environment said it still encourages residents to wear masks when interacting with people outside of their household, especially if it is in an indoor setting, as they protect against the coronavirus and the newer, more contagious variants.

It is estimated that one in 207 people are contagious with COVID-19 in the state. Only an estimated 27% of Coloradans are immune to the coronavirus via either vaccination or prior infection, according to the governor’s office.

As of Thursday, 382 people were hospitalized with confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19, according to the state health department.