Weld County Issues Pandemic Health Emergency and Public Health Order

Published on March 16, 2020

Addendum and Clarification to Pandemic Health Emergency and Public Health Order 

Weld County — This Pandemic Health Emergency and Public Health Order is in line with President Trump’s national emergency declaration; the Trump Administration’s recommendation of limiting groups and social gatherings to 10 or less; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s orders to require social distancing; the sweeping orders of Governor Polis to implement social distancing practices by closing bars, restaurants, and other social gathering sites; School Districts extending closures of schools around spring break; and the limiting or cancelling of a host of social, convention, and athletic activities by a variety of public and private sector organizations, including municipalities.

The Pandemic Health Emergency and Public Health Order requires social distancing be enacted. Social distancing means people stay at least 6 feet away from each other, and all “events” of 10 people or more are cancelled. An “Event” is further clarified as: A gathering for social or recreational activities, or a location that engages in or allows for such activities. For example: sporting events, concerts, parades, places of worship, ice rinks, recreation centers, or libraries.

An event does not include:

• Activities that are primarily individual or occur in small groups (of 10 or less).
• It also does not include places of employment. For example, a small meeting of staff who regularly work together in an office where the group makes an effort to create space between them is not an “event”.
• Also not considered an “event” are businesses such as grocery stores, hardware stores, doctors’ offices, dental offices, childcare centers, or discount department stores. When you are in these places, however, please continue to observe social distancing.
• Other examples that are not defined as an “event” include: a business with over 10 employees which can remain open to conduct its day-to-to-day business operations; however, that business would not be allowed to host a social party for its staff and families; a restaurant that offers drive-through services may remain open with its kitchen staff but not offer dining in the facility.
• A daycare center can remain open and have more than 10 kids present; however, the center should not host a social event, such as “Grandparent’s Day” that involved more than 10 grandparents. Best practices for protecting children from infection in a center with more than 10 children would include distancing them from one another.
  
  

In a very simplistic explanation, the goal of the 10-person gathering limit is to reduce contact among groups of people who normally do not interact and to limit exposure opportunities for vulnerable individuals.

This order is effective until April 8, 2020. It will be reviewed and extended if needed, or retracted, if the spread of the virus is significantly reduced.