Does Colorado still have stay at home order due to the COVID-19 pandemic?

Colorado is under a Safer-at-Home order. While many businesses and activities are now able to open with safety precautions in place, we still recommend that you stay home as much as possible in order to keep the transmission of this virus low in our communities.

Will I have to pay to be tested for COVID-19 in Colorado?

Under state and Federal law, COVID-19 testing is required to be covered by insurance and people with insurance should not have co-pays, deductibles, or coinsurance.

For people who are uninsured, a number of community testing sites are free or accept people without insurance.

What is the process if my county in Colorado is ready to move into the next level on the COVID-19 dial?

See full answerTo move to a less restrictive level (e.g., Level Yellow to Level Blue), the county needs to meet and sustain all three metrics for a two-week period. Once the county meets those metrics, the LPHA must formally notify CDPHE if it would like to move to a less restrictive level.LPHAs can notify CDPHE by completing this form.Form submissions should include a letter co-signed by the required stakeholders, or a series of letters from the required stakeholders. Those stakeholders include:

• The local public health agency.
• All hospitals within the county or region (unless there are no hospitals located in the county).
  • Hospitals must verify that they have the capacity to serve all people needing their care.

How does Colorado’s COVID-19 dial framework affect existing variances?

Counties with a current site-specific variance or a variance with allowances that exceed the new framework will retain those variance(s). Under the new dial framework, counties will be able to apply for new or additional site-specific variances approved by their LPHA, but CDPHE will not accept county-wide variances in this new framework.

What are the limitations on site-specific variances per Colorado’s COVID-19 regulations?

See full answerCDPHE will not grant any variances that:

• Seek a higher capacity than 50\%.
• Seek to be removed from the requirements of the state’s orders generally.
• Reduce or eliminate protections for people at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19, as defined in state’s orders. These groups are specifically protected by the state’s orders.
• Seek variances for Public Health Order 20-29: Voluntary and Elective Surgeries and Procedures or PHO 20-20: Restricting Visitors at all Colorado Skilled Nursing Facilities, Assisted Living Residences, and Intermediate Care Facilities.
• Seek variances from the mask order.

Do the guidelines outlined on the Colorado government website apply to all COVID-19 dial levels?

Yes, all of the best practices recommended in sector guidance still apply to counties in Level Blue: Cautious, Level Yellow: Concern, and Level Orange: High Risk, as well as Level Green. However, the capacity percentages and caps adjust according to whatever dial level the county is currently in. Learn more about how capacity caps differ based on dial level.

How does a county apply for a site-specific variance per Colorado’s COVID-19 regulations?

See full answerCounties that have reviewed and supported a request for a site-specific variance may have their local public health agency submit a complete variance form to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. When completing the application, make sure to:

• Clearly indicate which site and capacity limitation the county is requesting a variance from.
• Describe preventive measures the county will require to meet the state’s orders.
• Use the social distancing space calculator to determine capacity.
• Use the outdoor and indoor event guidance to create designated spaces within the site.

What would cause a venue to lose its variance per Colorado’s COVID-19 regulations?

Two COVID-19 cases linked to a site automatically require a mitigation plan. The variance may be suspended at any time by CDPHE, if deemed necessary, to mitigate disease spread.

What are the benefits of the COVID-19 dial initiative in Colorado?

The dial adds simplicity, transparency, and predictability to how we open — or close — based on virus transmission levels. The dial makes it possible for all counties to achieve many of the increased capacity allowances that were granted to various counties under the original variance process. Additionally, the dial mitigation process typically gives counties two weeks to implement mitigation measures. This process and metric criteria are less restrictive and create more flexibility for disease incidence fluctuations.

Why are so many refugees flocking to Colorado?

Colorado’s refugees have spiked coinciding with political turmoil across the globe. More than 10,000 arrived from Vietnam in the 1980s and 1990s after the Vietnam War. When the Soviet Union collapsed, the state saw an influx of people from Russia. In late 1990s and early 2000s, hundreds of people a year from Bosnia and Herzegovina fled to Colorado.

Why is Colorado so expensive?

While the 86 million people that visit Colorado annually bring a ton of money into the state, this hoard also adds to excessive crowding on the roads, on the trails, and at the resorts. It also likely contributes to increased dining costs in some parts of the state. Plus, most tourists tend to drive extremely slow on mountain roads.

Why are so many people moving to Colorado?

There’s a ton of economic growth in Colorado, which means a ton of new jobs. However, there’s also a massive wave of people moving to Colorado ( 80,000 in a single year) to fill those jobs.

What are the bad things about living in Colorado?

Most of Colorado’s population essentially lives in a desert climate. Your skin and lips will crack. Wildfire risk is massive. Water-use restrictions are becoming more common. You’ll get bloody noses. Good luck growing a garden.