Starting Friday, high school and adult sports leagues can no longer have spectators in Jefferson County, and last call at restaurants will be one hour earlier.
Jefferson County Public Health announced the changes Thursday night, along with stricter limits on event sizes. The county has seen increases in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, and in the percentage of tests coming back positive.
Margaret Huffman, director of community health services at the Jefferson County health department, said if the county doesn’t bring transmission under control with these restrictions, it will have to move up a level on the state’s color-coded dial framework. If Jefferson County moved up to the second-highest, or orange, level, most businesses could only operate at 25% of capacity. Adams County moved into the orange level on Oct. 23, and Denver followed a few days later.
“We have a brief window of opportunity to get our cases under control, or our county will be moved to Level 3 and face even more restrictions,” Huffman said in a news release. “I want to emphasize how critical these next couple of weeks are — we’ve seen other counties be moved on the dial already, but that doesn’t have to be the path for Jeffco if we can all come together right now.”
Under the new rules, last call will move back from 11 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Outdoor events will be limited to 75 people, and indoor events will be allowed no more than 25. The limit also could be lower, if the space isn’t large enough for 25 people to stay six feet apart.
High school sports teams and adult recreational sports leagues can continue to play, but they can’t have spectators. The rule applies to public and private schools. Professional sports following the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s protocols can continue, however.
Over the last two weeks, Jefferson County had more than 300 cases per 100,000 residents, and hospitalizations increased more than 80%. The state’s dial framework stipulates counties at Jeffco’s previous level, yellow, should have no more than 175 cases per 100,000 people. The percentage of tests that were positive also increased, indicating that more testing isn’t driving the numbers.
The order will be in effect until Nov. 29, unless it’s rescinded or replaced before then. It also could be extended.
