Larimer County Public Health Working to Slowly and Cautiously Reopen Local Businesses

Larimer County Public Health will be slowly allowing businesses to reopen under the new Safer at Home guidance the governor will be releasing soon.  Larimer County will adopt the governor’s new stay at home orders with local guidance, education, and enforcement. 

Larimer County will be slowly reopening businesses with strict guidelines to protect our community members. We have done a great job reducing the curve and keeping our case counts low. We must continue that great work, maintaining our social distances of 6 feet, wearing face coverings whenever we are in public near other people, and keeping gatherings to 10 people or less. 

“We need to be cautious with this move to the safer at home order. We don’t want to move too fast and see COVID-19 cases surge in our hospitals. We work closely with our hospitals and they will help us determine if we are moving too fast in this next phase, says Tom Gonzales, Public Health Director for Larimer County. “Physical distancing of 6 feet or more and face coverings in public should help us keep spread in our community low.”

Many businesses have been closed in our community, and need time to get up and running again. The guidelines given still only allow them to operate in a limited capacity for this first phase. We need to balance the safety of our community with the need to slowly allow businesses to re-open. With any governor or state order, local public health agencies can be more restrictive but not less restrictive in their orders and guidance. 

There are some areas, like the Estes Valley, that will be more closely monitored. While travel is still not encouraged, accommodations are being allowed to re-open on a limited basis after being closed through a local order. This is to help them get ready for business in this new limited capacity and not to encourage a resurgence of travel to the area.

The safer at home orders are the first step to re-opening the business community, but this is not a mandatory reopening. Businesses can choose to remain closed at this time as well.  Susceptible individuals and those with underlying health conditions are still being asked to remain home at this time. 

You can help slow the spread of viruses by:

• increasing distance between people to six feet to help reduce spread,
• washing hands frequently with soap and water,
• covering coughs and sneezes,
• wearing a face covering in public
• staying home when sick, and
• avoiding close contact with anyone who has cold or flu-like symptoms.

Information about COVID-19 is constantly changing, and the public health response adjusts as more is learned about this virus. While there is plenty of news and media information available, LCDHE is encouraging Larimer County residents to view the latest credible information on COVID-19 at www.larimer.org/coronavirus  or www.CDC.gov/coronavirus. Additionally, residents are encouraged to follow LCDHE’s Facebook and Twitter accounts at @LarimerHealth.