Reopening Colorado: Douglas County Commissioners Want More Places Open For Businesses
DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4)- In Douglas County, there is plenty already open: restaurants, churches, and gyms, all under specified conditions, but leaders want more. The county commissioners have a list.
They are now preparing to ask for such activities as youth sports to be allowed, the playgrounds to be opened and all the swimming pools to be unlocked.
Abe Laydon is one if the commissioners who voted to explore requesting variances from state health authorities.
"I would say that it's a tragedy that pools are empty. We know from the experts that the chlorine kills the coronavirus," he told CBS4's Rick Sallinger.
They would also like to see movie theaters reopened. But even some kids have concerns like Porya Sabet who said, "I think movie theaters could open but they would have to sanitize the chairs."
Event centers could be opened for weddings and other occasions if approved. Also on the list is the Douglas County Fair. But the top priority now, since time is running out, is getting approval for graduation ceremonies.
Laydon sees a larger issue at play in all this, "Freedom is really important and I think that's true for most people in Colorado and across the country."
Residents like Mary Sabet would agree, but with caution, "You want to go back to your normal life everyone does, but at the same time you want to be safe."
Douglas County is working with the Tri-County Health Department for the variance requests. They would have to be approved by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
