Mask Requirements in Arapahoe And Adams Counties Expires Saturday

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, CO —The Tri-County Health Department (TCHD) Board of Health voted Monday to direct Dr. John Douglas, the TCHD's executive director, to allow mask requirements in schools and indoor public spaces to expire in Adams County and Arapahoe County on Saturday.

The board said masking in all indoor spaces remains highly encouraged, and schools and communities will be allowed to decide "what works best in their contexts" regarding masking rules, according to the TCHD.

The board cited several reasons for the end of the mandate including: rapidly-improving COVID-19 numbers, vaccine availability, high-quality masks, rapid testing, good ventilation and people staying home when they are sick.

"While wearing a well-fitting face covering is still an important COVID-19 prevention measure, especially in indoor public spaces, we do think it is reasonable to end the public health orders requiring them now," Douglas said. "We have worked closely with our school districts to ensure they have capacity to implement a range of prevention measures to accommodate particularly at-risk students and to minimize disruptions to in-person learning."

Douglas said the surge of the omicron variant of the coronavirus has declined more rapidly than expected. The rates in Arapahoe and Adams counties remain very high, but have declined by over 65 percent since the peak of Jan. 11, according to the executive director.

"Our projections are that rates will be under 300 per 100,000 for both counties by Feb. 4 and will fall below the CDC definition of "high" transmission (100 per 100,000) by Feb. 7" Douglas said. "In addition to vaccine-related immunity, the unprecedented numbers of recent cases have substantially enhanced population immunity."

The decision by TCHD occurred on the same day Denver Mayor Michael Hancock and the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment (DDPHE) announced it would not extend its mask mandate in indoor public spaces when it expires on Thursday. Though masks still will be required in schools and childcare facilities in Denver.

Jefferson County, meanwhile, announced Monday that its board of health was scheduled to meet Friday to discuss its mask mandate, PHO 21-006, which requires people in indoor public spaces and inside pre-kindergarten to 12th-grade schools to wear masks.

According to the most recent modeling from the Colorado School of Public Health, an estimated 42 percent of all Coloradans already have been infected with omicron and 78 percent of residents have immunity thanks to vaccines or having had the virus.

Though natural immunity does not last as long as immunity from vaccines, the TCHD said it believes a three-month natural immunity will provide "a bridge to warmer months of the year when COVID-19 transmission is less of a risk."

More information about mask mandates, testing and vaccines is available on the Tri-County Health Department website.