April 16, 2021

Certified Businesses,

As I am sure you are aware there have been a lot of changes in the Public Health Order landscape. The State has issued its new Public Health Order 20-38 lifting all restrictions with the exceptions indicated below and turned over responsibility to the Local Public Health Authorities. Tri-County Health Department issued a Public Health Order retaining certain COVID Dial restrictions for the next month but the Board of Douglas County Commissioners opted out. So the TCHD order is not in effect in Douglas County or its municipalities. However, we still must follow State orders. Some of the changes in the State Order that may be of interest to you are:

• There are no capacity restrictions or social distancing requirements (the 6-foot rule is no longer mandatory) for most businesses. See exceptions below for indoor unseated gatherings over 100 people and mass gatherings of more than 500
• There are no more symptom checks of employees or customers
• All sanitizing activities are not mandatory but only encouraged

CDPHE is encouraging employers and proprietors to follow disease mitigation best practices found on its website.

What does this mean for face coverings?
The State Face Covering Executive Order is in effect state-wide and requires face coverings in indoor public spaces.

What does all this mean for the County’s COVID Best Practices Business Certification Program?
Effectively immediately the program will be put into a dormant status just in case it is needed in the future.

What is expected of you while the program is dormant?

• Please remove your Certification Certificate
• You are free to remove any signage associated with the program
• You can choose to stop implementing all program standards (you will only be required to implement State directed controls)

What would it look like if the program was activated again?

• We would notify you via email
• You would be provided the checklist with all program standards you would be required to meet
• We would ask that you confirm via email that you are willing and able to meet all program standards
• You would then be able to resume operating as a Certified Business
• No inspection would be required

It should be noted that if a business were cited by TCHD for a violation of the State PHO they would no longer be eligible for the  County’s COVID Best Practices Business Certification Program.

State Public Health Order 20-38 restrictions (only highlights that may impact our certified businesses):

• Face Coverings required in public indoor spaces per Executive Order 2021-079
• Gatherings in public indoor spaces that exceed 100 individuals, requires 6 feet distancing and masks between parties of unvaccinated people
• Indoor gatherings that exceed 500 people must seek a variance from TCHD to be approved by CDPHE.
• Outdoor ticketed, seated event venues in excess of 30,000 sq feet require CDPHE approval

Please note, the above requirements don’t apply to places of worship (and associated ceremonies), retail services, and restaurants that have sit-down dining and do not have unseated areas where 100 or more people could gather (such as dance floors or common gathering areas).

Please contact us if there are any questions,
The Administrative Committee

Tri-County Health Department conducted two webinars with additional information about the April 16 orders – one general for all businesses and one for event operators. Find the archives at www.tchd.org/BusinessSupport.