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Denver Mayor Speaks On CNN About Stay-At-Home Order Extension

DENVER (CBS4) - Denver Mayor Michael Hancock explained why he extended a stay-at-home order until May 8. He spoke with CNN on Monday.

He says Denver was not ready to reopen. He says Gov. Jared Polis was aware Denver would be extending its order.

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Denver Mayor Michael Hancock (credit: CBS)

"We didn't have the infrastructure for testing, and we didn't have the infrastructure for contact tracing. One of the things I said to my team was 'Why? Let's go back to the why. Why did we shut down in the first place?' We wanted to build the infrastructure and we wanted to be keep everyone health and safety safe within that infrastructure," Hancock said.

RELATED: 'We Need A Little More Time': Mayor Hancock Explains Extending Denver's Stay-At-Home Order

Hancock wants to double the daily tests from 500 to 1,000 and to build a team of 100 contact tracers. He said training for those contact tracers began on Monday. He says the next two weeks will be spent building that infrastructure for a long-term fight against coronavirus.

On Sunday, Polis spoke on CNN's State of the Union and said the state would help Denver achieve those goals.

RELATED: Latest Updates On The Coronavirus Outbreak In Colorado

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