Denver to loosen COVID restrictions on Friday

(The Center Square) – Denver Mayor Michael Hancock announced on Wednesday that the city and county will loosen its COVID-19 restrictions as the vaccination rate increases.

As of Wednesday, the city will no longer enforce its outdoor mask mandate. However, its indoor mandate for anyone 3 years old or older will still be in effect.

On Friday, Denver will move to Level Blue on the state’s COVID-19 dial, meaning businesses can expand their service capacity to 75% and schools can allow students to return for in-person classes.

Both measures are set to expire in 30 days, at which time city officials will consider whether to extend them.

To date, nearly 300,000 Denverites have received at least one dose of the available COVID vaccines, according to Denver’s Department of Public Health and Environment. That’s approximately 40% of the city’s residents.

Hancock stressed the decision was not made in a vacuum. He said the city coordinated with other counties in the metro area, many of whom will follow suit and move to Level Blue, too.

“Until the vaccines become more widely and readily available, it is important to keep these measures in place so that we can keep a lid on the spread of this virus,” Hancock said during the press conference.

Sonia Riggs, president and CEO of the Colorado Restaurant Association, said she is grateful to see Denver loosen its capacity limits for restaurants, but noted many small businesses are still struggling.

Riggs specifically took umbrage with Denver’s continued enforcement of the six-foot social distancing policy for restaurants. She argued that it prevents many small-to-medium sized businesses from operating at full capacity, even though the Level Blue guidelines allow for it.

“Unfortunately, an unintended consequence of each county establishing their own guidelines will be the creation of a competitive advantage for restaurants located in counties with fewer restrictions and the potential loss of business for restaurants in surrounding counties with stricter safety guidelines,” Riggs said in a statement.

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