Jeffco extending Stay-At-Home order through May 8

More businesses allowed to open on pick-up basis

Paul Albani-Burgio
palbaniburgio@coloradocommunitymedia.com
Posted 4/24/20

Jefferson County will continue to be under a Stay-At-Home order even after the statewide order expires on Saturday thanks to a countywide extension of the state's order announced by Jefferson County …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Username
Password
Log in

Don't have an ID?


Print subscribers

If you're a print subscriber, but do not yet have an online account, click here to create one.

Non-subscribers

Click here to see your options for becoming a subscriber.

If you made a voluntary contribution in 2023-2024 of $50 or more, but do not yet have an online account, click here to create one at no additional charge. VIP Digital Access includes access to all websites and online content.


Our print publications are advertiser supported. For those wishing to access our content online, we have implemented a small charge so we may continue to provide our valued readers and community with unique, high quality local content. Thank you for supporting your local newspaper.

Jeffco extending Stay-At-Home order through May 8

More businesses allowed to open on pick-up basis

Posted

Jefferson County will continue to be under a Stay-At-Home order even after the statewide order expires on Saturday thanks to a countywide extension of the state's order announced by Jefferson County Public Health on Friday morning.

The extension of the order, which will be in effect through May 8, will include most of the provisions of the statewide order. However, it also includes a new allowance for non-critical businesses to begin to offer curbside delivery of products with travel to pick-up these products now considered “necessary travel.”

“Our goal has always been to reduce the severity of this crisis with as short a disruption to people's economic livelihoods as possible,” said JCPH Executive Director Dr. Mark B. Johnson in a press release about the extension of the order. “We hope this update to enable non-critical businesses to begin operating in this manner helps us start to get back on our feet.”

According to the release, county public health officials feel it is necessary to extend the order because Jefferson County, unlike many other areas of the state that have less population density, has not yet seen a decline in new daily COVID-19 cases. The county's release also states that the county “does not have sufficient testing capacity or data about community compliance and notes that “each of these benchmarks are key factors in the decision to phase toward reopening.”

Although the statewide Stay-at-Home order is set to expire on Sunday, Gov. Jared Polis has directed local public health officials to implement data-informed strategies at the local level that best meet the needs of local communities. The decision to extend the order within Jefferson County was made after collaboration with public health officials across the Denver metro area, as well as with local business owners, community members and elected and appointed officials in Jefferson County.

According to the release, the brief extension will allow more time for JCPH to develop and implement strategies for how to safely reopen and how to communicate with the public about how to protect themselves from “a rapidly changing pandemic.” It will also allow the county to “ensure our strategies are equitable and reflect the needs of the community as a whole.”

“No two communities in Colorado are the same, and each community has different needs as we look to the next stages of response to the COVID-19 pandemic,” Johnson said. “We have to consider what impact opening too soon could have on those in our community and region, and take a phased, science-based approach to reopening.”

According to the Arvada Resiliency Task Force, here are some nuances of the new county order

  • The County Order extends the provisions prohibiting operation of non-Critical Businesses, as that term is defined in the Stay at Home Orders, until midnight on May 8, 2020;
  • While the Stay at Home Orders expire April 26, 2020 on a state level, the County Order controls for businesses located in Jefferson County;
  • However, the County Order allows for non-Critical Businesses to offer curbside delivery of products under the same conditions as are permitted for Critical Businesses under the Stay at Home Orders;
  • Non-Critical Businesses may not allow members of the public to enter into the premises of the non-Critical Businesses and non-Critical Businesses offering curbside delivery must indicate that members of the public may not enter into their premises;
  • Non-Critical Businesses may staff on-site employees necessary to fill and process orders and provide curbside deliveries, but employees of non-Critical Businesses who are able to work from home must continue to work remotely;
  • The County Order does not modify the Stay at Home Orders’ provisions regarding office or manufacturing non-Critical Businesses; this means that such non-Critical Businesses may not reopen  in a Jefferson County location until May 9, 2020;
  • The County Order does not incorporate the Governor’s Executive Order D 2020 027, prohibiting elective and non-essential surgeries and procedures, which expires on April 26, 2020; as such, Critical Businesses offering such surgeries and procedures in Jefferson County may resume doing so on April 27, 2020;
  • The County Order does not incorporate CDPHE’s Public Health Order 20-22 closing bars, restaurants and other non-essential personal services facilities which expires on April 30, 2020 and which the Governor and state health officials have indicated will likely be extended for certain types of businesses; Jefferson County businesses which fall into an industry enumerated in Public Health Order 20-22 will need to monitor future state and JCPH orders as they specifically relate to this area.

According to the county website, as of April 23 there are 809 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 330 more cases that are probable, suspected or under investigation. The county has seen 59 deaths and 257 hospitalizations. As of April 23, there 10,878 cases of COVID-19 in Colorado.

Denver Mayor Michael Hancock has also extended  the Stay-At-Home order for the city of Denver through May 8.

The full extended order can be viewed at jeffco.us.

stay at home, Jefferson County Colorado, safer at home, essential services, COVID-19

Comments

Our Papers

Ad blocker detected

We have noticed you are using an ad blocking plugin in your browser.

The revenue we receive from our advertisers helps make this site possible. We request you whitelist our site.