Late Friday, June 26, Douglas County received a letter of approval from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment(CDPHE) pertaining to the County’s variance request for gatherings, receptions, events and life rites – and the County’s variance request for theaters, team sports and pools.
Approvals are specific to limited capacities, sustainability of favorable public health data, with social distancing and adherence to public health orders. The approvals will:
- Allow 175 people indoors and 250 outdoors for: gatherings, receptions, events and life rites; indoor and outdoor pools;
- Allow 50 players indoors and outdoors for recreational league sports and tournaments;
- Allow libraries and bowling alleys to expand to 50% capacity not to exceed 175 people indoors; and
- Allow 175 people indoors at movie theaters, performance theaters, opera houses, concert halls and music halls.
For all indoor and outdoor spaces, in order to achieve 6-foot distancing, the limit is 50% of the posted occupancy code ensuring a minimum of 28 square feet per person not to exceed more than 175 people gathered in a confined indoor space at any given time, and not to exceed 250 in an outdoor space.
The Tri-County Health Department is prepared to assist businesses and organizations with reopening and complying with the health orders and variances. If you have questions about how the orders and variances are administered, reach them by email at covidbusinessrecovery@tchd.org or by phone at 720-713-6030. They also have a web page with useful information at https://www.tchd.org/836/Safer-at-Home-Guidance-for-Businesses.
Patrons of the businesses and organizations impacted by these variance approvals should inquire with them as to how they may be adapting to the new capacities accommodated by these variances
“On behalf of our Board of County Commissioners, I wish to express our thanks to all involved in the preparation and review of these documents including our local business community, Tri-County Health Department, our hospitals and the CDPHE. Our goal in the pursuit of these variances was to help our citizens return to a more familiar lifestyle, while also allowing additional sectors of our business community to reopen. We are especially grateful to the citizens of Douglas County for adhering to the behaviors that led to the favorable public health data that supported this outcome,” said Roger Partridge, Board Chair.
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Guidance for businesses can be found in the variance documents with amendments found in the letter of approval – visit DouglasCOVID19.org for all approved variance documents.
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