Jefferson County Moves To Level Yellow: What To Know

JEFFERSON COUNTY, CO — Colorado public health officials have moved Jefferson County to a more restrictive level after climbing coronavirus case rates. The county is shifting to Dial 3.0's Level Yellow at 6 a.m. Friday.

But the state's dial system is set to end April 16, and Colorado will give control over health orders to county and municipal governments, public health officials said.

As of Thursday, Jefferson County Public Health had not yet made a decision on whether it will continue under Level Yellow restrictions after April 16, according to an agency spokesperson. The county is consulting with other public health leaders and monitoring COVID-19 case rates before a decision is made.

In the meantime, here's a list of restrictions that Jeffco businesses, event planners and residents will have to follow, effective Friday morning:

• Restaurants are limited to 50 percent of the posted occupancy limit and can't 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 percent of the posted occupancy limit, and can't 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 percent of the posted occupancy limit, and can't 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 feet of distancing between non-household members.
• Recreation, including gyms, recreation centers and pools, is limited to 50 percent capacity, and can't exceed 50 people per room indoors or activity area outdoors. Establishments larger than 7,200 square feet can 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 percent capacity, and can't 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 can still operate under Level Blue limits.

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There were 832 cases of COVID-19 — 142.7 per 100,000 — in Jefferson County between March 13 and April 6, public health officials said. Dial 3.0's seven day case incidence rate limit, including a buffer allowance, for Level Blue is 115 cases per 100,000 people, for five consecutive days.

"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 of Jefferson County Public Health.

"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."

The majority of new cases are among people ages 20 to 39, and most active outbreaks are occurring in schools, offices and non-regulated businesses, public health officials said. Many people are no longer adhering to social distancing guidelines and variants are circulating, the county said.

"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," Comstock said.

"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."