Safer-At-Home Restrictions Being Loosened Again In Colorado

DENVER (CBS4) - Gov. Jared Polis on Monday announced a new slate of safer-at-home guidelines which are set to take effect by the end of the week. They are intended to help Colorado's struggling economy and give a boost to businesses that have been struggling to survive since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. He also gave a look ahead at what he calls the state's "protect-our-neighbors" phase, which he hopes will go into effect in most areas in July and allow for even more activities to reopen.

"We're trying to get back to at least some way to do all of the normal things we do," Polis said. "Everybody knows if we go back to how we did them in January, the virus will take off immediately again. In fact, we are only just a few steps ahead of this virus here."

Starting Thursday in Colorado, after a public comment period of the next few days, the following measures are set to be part of the state's safer-at-home guidelines:

- People wanting a facial, lip waxing or a beard trimming at a business in Colorado can now get those services -- wearing a mask during the process will only be necessary for the worker providing the service.

- Bars will be able to open indoor operations with up to 25% capacity (or 50 people), with larger numbers on patios

- Residential overnight summer camps will be able to open with 10 kids together indoors and 25 kids outdoors.

- Indoor events like conferences and receptions can also begin to reopen as long as they maintain social distancing at the events. Rooms will be allowed to have 75 participants in them, and double-sized rooms will be allowed to have as much as 100 people.

- Outdoor events like small concerts, fairs, rodeos and receptions are also being allowed to reopen under similar rules.

- Non-critical manufacturing facilities will also be allowed to expand their in-person workforce.

The key component to all this, Polis says, is that people continue to wear face masks when interacting with others, wash hands frequently, don't touch your face and stay 6 feet away from others.

Colorado continues to flatten the curve against COVID-19 and is not like other states including Utah and Arizona where the number of new cases of the virus is going up. If that trajectory continues, the governor is hopeful he'll be able to move the state into the protect-our-neighbors phase next month. That will allow even more activities to be possible across the state.

"We see some of our neighboring states -- Arizona and Utah -- that are moving the wrong way, rather than the right way," Polis said. "We will only continue to move the right way as long as Coloradans continue to be responsible: to wear masks in public and exercise precaution, staying 6 feet away from others where they can and for Coloradans over the age of 65 to show extraordinary precautions, enjoy being safe at home and in the great vast outdoors and be very careful in areas where there are others."

Get more information about the new guidelines at covid19.colorado.gov/safer-at-home.