GLENWOOD SPRINGS—Will Garfield County’s COVID-19 level move to orange or remain in the less restrictive yellow category? In a special, late afternoon meeting with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, the Board of County Commissioners made a formal request to remain in yellow or “Safer at Home.” CDPHE Chief of Staff Mara Borsey Wiwchar isn’t sure that’s possible. She says Garfield County has exceeded the yellow metrics for 26 days and has been in the red level (“Stay at Home”) for 12 days. “There has been a drastic uptick in cases,” Wiwchar says. She says considering the rapid rise in positive cases calls for moving the dial from yellow to orange. Orange means restaurant capacity would be reduced to 25 percent and would drastically cut down on public gatherings. Commissioner Tom Jankovsky plead with Wiwchar to remain in yellow, saying the county will do all it can to ensure that citizens and businesses comply with health department guidelines. “What you’re saying to us is, put this on the backs of the small businesses. Put this on the backs of the retail shops. Put this on the back of the restaurants.” Jankovsky says the county can’t take another shutdown. If the state decides to move the county into the orange category, the board is asking that less restrictive variances remain in place.
