Jefferson County Moves To Level Clear: What That Means

Lakewood CO

14 May, 2021

11:28 AM

Description

JEFFERSON COUNTY, CO — Jefferson County will move to Level Clear on Sunday, which will allow businesses to operate at 100 percent capacity, public health officials said. The new level will remain in effect for a three-month observation period. Masks will still be required in indoor public settings if 10 or more people are present, for now, even though Colorado is lifting its mask mandate. "Jefferson County Public Health (JCPH) is aware of today's announcement from Gov. Jared Polis and the state's plans to align with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention around masks," the agency said in a statement issued Friday afternoon. "JCPH is awaiting receipt of official requirements and guidelines from the state, and following a review of that, we will either rescind or amend the county's PHO 20-008 as needed. We expect to provide an update on Monday. In the meantime, residents should follow whichever state or county mask order is more restrictive." If a Jeffco business is able to verify that 80 percent of people are vaccinated, masks can be taken off, officials said. Masks also continue to be required in pre-K to 12 schools, public areas of county or municipal government facilities, congregate care facilities, prisons, jails, medical and healthcare settings, during travel (per CDC requirements) and personal service settings regardless of vaccination status, Jefferson County Public Health said. Businesses will still be encouraged to provide space for social distancing and continue good cleaning and disinfecting practices, public health officials said. "Community members should know that businesses can still require COVID-19 mitigation steps, such as continued mask wearing and social distancing measures, even if they are not required by the county or state," the agency said in a news release. "Anyone visiting a business should follow that particular business's requirements for entering." If hospitalizations surge during Level Clear, the county may have to reinstate business capacity limits, public health officials said. The county must not exceed two hospital admissions per 100,000 residents in 14 days. Don't miss the latest news updates in Arvada, Lakewood and Littleton. Sign up for free Patch news alerts and newsletters for what you need to know daily. As of Wednesday, around 56 percent of eligible Jeffco residents were fully vaccinated, and another 12 percent had received at least one dose of their two-dose vaccine, public health officials said. But more than 70 percent of the population needs to be vaccinated to stop the ongoing community spread, according to some of the nation's top epidemiologists. "Jefferson County and our neighbors across the Denver Metro Area are able to make this change now because so many residents are choosing to get vaccinated," said Dr. Dawn Comstock, executive director of Jefferson County Public Health. "Getting vaccinated is our community's path to staying fully open. Widespread vaccination coverage among Jeffco residents is the key to all of us getting back to doing the things we love. That's why I'm so thrilled that, with the FDA's very recent Emergency Use Approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children ages 12-15, now even more residents can be protected. Further, getting a vaccine is now easier than ever with free, walk-up vaccine clinic locations widely available across the county." But Jeffco residents can't let their guard down just yet, Comstock said. "While every step forward gives me a lot of hope, we remind residents that COVID-19 is still circulating in our community — currently, especially among young people — and variants are threatening our progress," Comstock said. "In order to remain fully open for good, we'll need everyone who is eligible to get a COVID-19 vaccine as soon as you can. Together we can keep severe illness low as we continue efforts to contain this virus and prevent ongoing widespread community transmission." Denver, Boulder, Broomfield, Adams and Arapahoe counties are also shifting to Level Clear. >> More information about Level Clear can be found here.