Colorado will give counties ability to loosen COVID-19 restrictions on businesses that meet safety thresholds

Colorado public health officials this week unveiled a new program to let participating counties offer restaurants and other businesses a path to expand their capacities beyond the limits set by their county’s color level on the COVID-19 restriction dial.

The new 5 Star State Certification Program “requires businesses certified through the program to implement safety measures beyond what is already required by public health orders and guidelines,” according to a Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment news release.

“Depending on the county’s level and metrics, certified businesses may be eligible for less-restrictive capacity caps,” state health officials said.

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For counties that meet the state’s requirements to participate, the program offers a framework to allow businesses that meet certain health and safety conditions to operate under less-restrictive rules.

For example, a county at Level Red — like Denver and the rest of the Front Range — could only patriciate after a two-week sustained drop in new infections and hospitalizations, along with a falling positivity rate.

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Then, certified businesses would be allowed to operate under Level Orange’s capacity limits — meaning, in this case, that restaurants that had been forced to close indoor dining under Level Red could resume service inside at 25% capacity or up to 50 people.

Read more via The Denver Post.