Local public health authorities have the authority to enact a stay at home in their counties, but “we think that that authority is more effective if it comes from the chief elected official in the state,” said John Douglas, M.D., the executive director of Tri-County Public Health, in an interview with CPR News.
Cases have grown so rapidly that the counties can no longer do effective contact tracing to try and slow or contain the spread.
“We just can't keep up with that at this point,” Douglas said. “We just don't have enough people to call everybody who's infected and do a case investigation. We don't have nearly enough people to do contact tracing.”
Polis press secretary Conor Cahill issued a statement late Monday indicating that the governor would only act on a statewide basis if that became necessary in dire circumstances, but that he would leave it to counties to follow the state's dial framework to make the best choices for their residents.
“We created the dial system because the virus is impacting communities in a different way, what is happening in Denver County is different than in Jackson County,” Cahill wrote. “It's important to remember that local jurisdictions have always had the ability to enact more restrictive policies than those outlined in the dial, and we need to trust that they will do what [sic] to protect the health and safety of their residents.”
“However, if there comes a time we could lose lives due to a lack of medical capacity, the governor will not hesitate to take statewide action.”
CDPHE representatives did not respond to a message from CPR News.
During a briefing for the state Monday, Polis expressed confidence that the end was in sight for the pandemic, but Colorado’s case numbers have grown concerning enough to attract attention from Washington.
“We had a visit from the White House coronavirus task force lead Dr. Deborah Birx last week, who told us that if we don't turn the corner, we're three, four weeks away from being in the same situation as North and South Dakota,” Douglas said.
Still, Polis, and his health department officials, have resisted moving counties into lockdowns, the economic consequences of which are devastating. And Douglas noted that without financial aid from Congress, businesses will have a more difficult time weathering a stay-at-home order, which complicates the decision in Colorado.
At his Monday briefing, Polis reiterated that the state is not going to press stay-at-home orders yet. He said people must be safe on their own, cancel gatherings over the next two weeks, limit interactions and wear a mask.
“That's the way to beat this thing, it's simple. And it's not about enforcement other than it's about the Grim Reaper is the ultimate enforcer,” said Polis, repeating the “Grim Reaper” line he used back in late March before finally enacting a statewide stay-at-home order. “More Coloradans will die if Coloradans don't simply cancel their social plans and wear masks in public.”
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November 10, 2020 at 06:01PM
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Local Health Officials Implore Polis To Issue Lockdowns If Needed As Coronavirus Continues To Spread - Colorado Public Radio
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