On May 16, Arapahoe County will move to Level Clear. In addition, the Tri-County Health Department's face covering order will expire on the same day (May 16). Under Level Clear, Adams and Arapahoe counties will enter a 90-day Observation Period during which businesses, schools, restaurants and other facilities will be able to open at 100 percent capacity. There will be no further restrictions beyond the state’s masking wearing requirements for indoor spaces and any state public health orders still in effect. The move to Level Clear is part of a measured regional approach to safe reopening that happens side-by-side with continuing efforts to vaccinate Colorado residents against COVID-19.
While the move to Level Clear is very encouraging and long awaited, it leaves many people uncertain of how to prevent and protect themselves from COVID-19, which is not gone yet and can still impact people’s lives. The number one way people can protect themselves and others is to be vaccinated as soon as possible.
Under Level Clear’s 90-day Observation Period that begins May 16, TCHD health officials will closely observe and monitor local conditions, paying particular attention to the rates pf hospital admission. Counties may be moved to a more restrictive level on the Simplified Dial if they experience hospital admission rates higher than two hospital admissions per 100,000 people. The hospital admission rate is an important health metric that indicates the severity of COVID-19 infections. Adams and Arapahoe Counties have not surpassed this metric since January of 2021 and we are hopeful that increased vaccination rates as well as other prevention strategies will keep all hospitalizations below this threshold moving forward.
For more information about what the transition to Level Clear means and how it affects residents of Adams and Arapahoe counties, visit www.tchd.org/825/Public-Health-Orders. Find more information about COVID-19 vaccines and where to get vaccinated at www.tchd.org/COVIDVaccine.