Workers With Higher Risk Concerned About Returning To Colorado Jobs As Some Coronavirus Closures Lift

(CBS4) - Colorado's statewide stay-at-home order due to the coronavirus pandemic has expired and that means gradually business is opening back up in many areas, but some high-risk workers wonder if they should go back yet.

"Reopening is almost an experiment," said Pam, who asked to just go by her first name. She works as a seamstress.  And she told CBS4, she meets more than one criteria in the CDC guidelines for people who are at high risk for severe illness if she contracts COVID-19.

"My employer isn't even opening yet, my employer has been great to work with," she said.

However, her concern is about others like her who have to go back to work sooner.

"I think those people need a little extra protection," she said.

Pam wants state and local governments to make detailed considerations for people with higher risk.

CBS4's Legal Analyst Raj Chohan says there are a lot of questions that will not be immediately answered.

"We are flying blind in a lot of ways, we're unprecedented and it's just hard to tell whether or not people are going to be able to go back to work," Chohan said.

Potentially these challenges could spur a number of lawsuits. He says the best advice for those who are worried is to first talk with their employers.

"Explain what their concerns are and try to come to a mutual decision about how to proceed on how to get back to work, whether that's an increased continuation of telecommuting or whether it means a return to the workplace but under very cautious circumstances where a lot of precautions are taken," he explained.

Pam understands businesses, as well as people, are eager to get back to normal, but she thinks for those at high risk this decision could be life or death.