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Coronavirus (COVID-19) Response and Update – Safer at Home Order

Gov. Polis today issued Executive Orders on Safer at Home, the New Normal Advisory Board, and Voluntary or Elective Surgeries and Procedures. 

“Together, Coloradans have been effective in leveling and flattening the curve, but life will remain much more dangerous than usual these next few months and we should all wear masks when in public. Safer at Home is by no means a free-for-all. My administration has acted boldly in the face of this pandemic and is focused on ensuring our state can endure on the trail ahead. We all have a personal responsibility to slow the spread of the virus and must find a way of living that is psychologically and economically sustainable for Coloradans,” said Governor Jared Polis.

The Safer at Home Executive Order D 2020 044 outlines a new level in Colorado’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes a more sustainable way of living for Coloradans while slowing the spread of the virus and allowing more Coloradans to return to work. The Executive Order is tentatively set to expire 30 days from April 27, 2020, but can be amended or extended at any time.

Coloradans should continue staying home as much as possible, and the Executive Order directs vulnerable populations, including seniors, to continue staying home, only leaving when absolutely necessary. Changes happening during Safer at Home will be phased in, with different changes going into effect April 27, May 1, and May 4.

Please note!  Some Counties in the high country may be continuing with additional restrictions beyond the Safer at Home Order.  For more information on your community guidance visit:

COVID-19 webpage — covid19.colorado.gov/
The State of Colorado recently unveiled the new COVID-19 webpage — covid19.colorado.gov/. This resource will keep you up-to-date on the latest statistics and the latest guidance on how we can protect ourselves and protect our most vulnerable populations.
Three Stages of State’s Response of COVID-19

Mask Design Challenge
Governor Polis announced the Colorado Face Mask Design Challenge, calling on all Colorado kids to create their own design for a face mask.

Some of the submitted designs will be featured on our Facebook page, and a select few will be printed on real face masks produced by Colorado companies that are manufacturing and donating masks to this effort.

Please visit coloradomaskcontest.org to view the contest guidelines and get creative! This is a great activity for parents and kids across our state to not only make the best of this challenging situation, but it can help open up a dialogue about COVID-19 between parents and their children.

Standing with Colorado’s Farmers and Ranchers
I am proud to stand with 127 of my colleagues from 34 states calling on Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue to take immediate action to support Colorado’s local farmers and ranchers.  Our food producers have been working tirelessly to feed their neighbors, yet they are in need of critical COVID-19 aid that they are not getting.  We can not have a local food system without our local farmers and ranchers. https://tinyurl.com/ybalfmdy

Colorado is No Place for Hate
I am proud to stand with my colleagues and call for an end to the racism, anti-Semitism and bigotry we see during this pandemic. You can read a full copy of our letter here. Interested in joining us and supporting this message?  Sign on Here.

Have extra time on your hands? Fill out your 2020 Census form today!
Our state receives funding from the Federal government based on our population. Now during a pandemic, it’s important we account for every individual in our state. Take 10 minutes to fill out the form, because COLORADO COUNTS!

General Assembly Returns to State Capitol – May 18, 2020
Rep. McCluskie Named Appropriations Committee Chair
I am honored to have the confidence of Speaker Becker and JBC Chair Esgar, and I look forward to working with my colleagues on the Joint Budget Committee and the House Appropriations Committee as we craft this year’s budget and look closely at how we can help our state, businesses and Coloradans recover from this pandemic.  For more on the schedule and convening of the Joint Budget Committee and Colorado Legislature, click here.

Federal Loan Assistance for Colorado’s Small Businesses
Colorado small businesses throughout all 64 counties impacted by COVID-19 can seek individual small business loans up to $2M as part of the Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan program. The SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans assistance provides low-interest federal loans for working capital to Colorado small businesses that have realized economic injury from COVID-19. Funding was appropriated through the US congressional Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act. Small businesses, private non-profit organizations, small agricultural cooperatives and small aquaculture enterprises impacted by COVID-19 can seek federal loans to pay key needs such as fixed debts, payroll, and accounts payable.

Eligibility information, loan application links and emerging economic recovery resources can all be found at choosecolorado.com.

Best Practices

The best thing you can do right now is encourage your family and friends to stay home. This will help reduce the spread. Also, practice good hygiene and social distancing in order to keep yourself and others safe — especially vulnerable populations like older Coloradans and those with underlying health conditions:

  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
  • Practice social distancing from others — at least six feet apart.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
  • Stay home when you are sick and keep your children home if they are sick.
  • Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
  • Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
  • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
    • If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
  • If someone at your home is sick, avoid sharing dishes, drinking glasses, cups, eating utensils, towels, or bedding with other people in your home. After using these items, wash them thoroughly with soap and water.
  • Choose a  separate room in your home that can be used to separate sick household members from those who are healthy.  Identify a separate bathroom for the sick person to use, if possible. Plan to clean these rooms as needed when someone is sick. All of these ways of preventing the spread of CO-VID 19 are also effective in preventing the transmission of the flu or seasonal colds. Smart hygiene practices make us all healthier. ____________________________________________________

These moments define us as Coloradans and Americans. I am impressed with the outpouring of kindness and compassion that I hear about in communities across our beautiful state.  Together, with patience and grace, we will soon find ourselves on the other side of this difficult time.  We are Colorado Strong!

Wishing you and your family good health in the days ahead,

Julie