Editor’s note: The age group that the mandate applies to has been corrected below.
All Boulder County residents 11 and over will be required to wear a face covering in indoor public spaces to help mitigate the spread of the coronavirus, following an executive order signed by Gov. Jared Polis on Thursday mandating the action.
Polis announced the order, which goes into effect at midnight tonight, during a news conference. The county already had a face covering requirement in place, which had mandated that all people 12 and over wear a mask whenever in public anywhere in Boulder County that social distancing of six feet cannot be maintained. Chana Goussestis, spokesperson for Boulder County Public Health, said the more restrictive order takes precedent. According to the state order, those 10 and younger are exempt. However, Goussetis said mask wearing is still recommended for those aged 3 to 10. People who “can’t medically tolerate a face covering,” are also exempt according to Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment guidelines.
“We hope the statewide mask order will provide more consistency throughout the state so it’s easier for residents and visitors to follow and, subsequently, slow coronavirus transmission,” Goussetis wrote in an email.
State guidelines on the order listed examples of public indoor spaces, such as offices, malls, stores and restaurants, when not seated, to name a few. People who are 10 and younger were not included in the mandate because that age group is less likely to spread the coronavirus than older adults and children, according to guidelines.
Guidelines also said people who enter a business without wearing a mask could be prosecuted for trespassing. Those who refuse to wear a mask may also be subject to civil and criminal penalties. A licensed business found to be in noncompliance could lose its license. The guidelines further state that a business can refuse service to those who don’t comply with the order.
The order follows a spike in coronavirus cases seen in Boulder County and across the state in the last roughly four weeks. According to the Denver Post, the state saw a 40% increase in cases last week. Hospitalizations are continuing to increase, according to state epidemiologist Rachel Herlihy, who spoke during the news conference Thursday. Herlihy also said the the current trend puts the state in jeopardy of exceeding ICU hospital bed capacity by September.
Masks are a key part of preventing the spread of the coronavirus, because wearing them reduces the “the amount and distance infectious particles can spread,” state guidelines said. The state also cited an article from GV Wire, a California-based news agency, which said people who wear masks are exposed to a lower dose of the virus and are less likely to become seriously ill.
Boulder County on Thursday reported a total of 1,618 positive and probable cases — up 23 from Wednesday. The death toll remained at 74 people. Of the county’s cases, 179 people have been hospitalized and 622 people have recovered. There are 112 disease investigations in progress in the county.
Statewide, there have been 38,726 cases. There have been 1,745 deaths and of those, 1,615 deaths are directly related to the virus. There have been 5,966 people hospitalized. Of Colorado’s more than 5.7 million population, 421,313 people have been tested.
"follow" - Google News
July 17, 2020 at 08:25AM
https://ift.tt/391GWKY
Boulder County will follow state order to require masks in indoor public spaces for people 11 and older - Longmont Times-Call
"follow" - Google News
https://ift.tt/35pbZ1k
https://ift.tt/35rGyU8
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Boulder County will follow state order to require masks in indoor public spaces for people 11 and older - Longmont Times-Call"
Post a Comment