Jefferson County is extending its stay-at-home order through May 8, following Denver’s lead as the statewide mandate ends this weekend.
“Extending the order through May 8 is necessary for Jefferson County because, unlike some areas of the state that have less population density, we have not yet seen a decline in daily COVID-19 cases, nor do we have sufficient testing capacity or data about community compliance,” the county’s public health department said Friday in a news release. “Each of these benchmarks are key factors in the decision to phase toward reopening.”
Under the extended order, Jefferson County will allow non-critical businesses to begin to offer curbside delivery of products. Traveling to pick up these goods will be deemed essential travel, the news release states.
“No two communities in Colorado are the same, and each community has different needs as we look to the next stages of response to the COVID-19 pandemic,” Dr. Mark B. Johnson, executive director of Jefferson County Public Health, said in a statement. “We have to consider what impact opening too soon could have on those in our community and region, and take a phased, science-based approach to reopening.”
Denver officials announced Thursday evening that they planned to extend the city’s stay-at-home order, which was set to expire April 30, to May 8, and that they expected other nearby municipalities to follow suit. The Tri-County Health Department, which covers Adams, Arapahoe and Douglas counties, said it, too, is considering an extension to May 8, and will make that decision by Sunday.
Colorado’s statewide stay-at-home order expires at the end of the day Sunday, and Gov. Jared Polis has announced plans for a gradual reopening of some bushiness in the coming weeks under what he called a “safer at home” plan.
