Eased Restrictions Delayed until May 8

NON-ESSENTIAL BUSINESSES AND OFFICES IN LA PLATA COUNTY WILL HAVETO WAIT UNTIL MAY 8TH TO REOPEN. YOU’RE WATCHING THE LOCAL NEWSNETWORK, BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE PAYROLL DEPARTMENT. I’M WENDY GRAHAMSETTLE. SAN JUAN BASIN PUBLIC HEALTH THIS WEEK ANNOUNCED THAT IT WILLDELAY THE RE-OPENING OF SOME NON-ESSENTIAL LOCAL BUSINESSES ANDWORKPLACES UNTIL MAY 8TH BECAUSE OF CONTINUED INCREASES IN COVID-19CASES IN THE REGION. ALTHOUGH COLORADO GOVERNOR JARED POLIS ANNOUNCEDTHAT COLORADO BUSINESSES WOULD BE ALLOWED TO RE-OPEN WITH APPROPRIATESOCIAL DISTANCING AND SAFETY PROTOCOLS ON MAY 1ST, HIS PUBLIC HEALTHORDER ALSO GAVE LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENTS THE AUTHORITY TO ENFORCEGREATER RESTRICTIONS BASED ON LOCAL HEALTH CONDITIONS. IN A NEWSRELEASE ISSUED ON APRIL 28TH, SAN JUAN BASIN PUBLIC HEALTH EXECUTIVEDIRECTOR LIANE JOLLON ISSUED THE SAFER LA PLATA HEALTH ORDER THATDELAYS RE-OPENING UNTIL MAY 8TH. THE ORDER APPLIES TO NON-ESSENTIALRETAIL BUSINESSES, WORKPLACES AND PERONSAL SERVICES. BUSINESSES ANDSERVICES SUCH AS RETAIL CURBSIDE DELIVERY, REAL-ESTATE SHOWINGS, ANDELECTIVE MEDICAL AND DENTAL PROCEDURES MAY RESUME THIS WEEK ASALLOWED BY THE GOVERNOR’S SAFER AT HOME EXECUTIVE ORDER. ALL SCHOOLSIN COLORADO WILL REMAIN CLOSED THROUGH THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR.WHILE SAN JUAN BASIN PUBLIC HEALTH’S ORDER IS MORE RESTRICTIVE THANTHE GOVERNOR’S, BOTH THE DURANGO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND THE CITY OFDURANGO ENDORSED THE LOCAL RESTRICTIONS. JOLLON SAID THE DECISION TODELAY RE-OPENINGS IN LA PLATA COUNTY WAS BASED ON CONTINUEDSUBSTANTIAL INCREASES IN COVID-19 CASES IN SAN JUAN COUNTY, NEWMEXICO. AS OF 4:30 P.M. MONDAY, APRIL 27TH, SAN JUAN COUNTY, NEWMEXICO, REPORTED 463 CONFIRMED CASES OF COVID-19, A 58 PERCENTINCREASE IN ONE WEEK. ONLY A THIRD OF THOSE CASES OCCURRED ON THENAVAJO NATION IN SAN JUAN COUNTY. DEATHS ATTRIBUTED TO COVID-19 HAVEMORE THAN DOUBLED IN THE PAST SEVEN DAYS. COVID CASES IN LA PLATACOUNTY HAVE REMAINED RELATIVELY FLAT FOR THE PAST TWO WEEKS WITH NOREPORTED DEATHS. JOLLON NOTED THAT SAN JUAN AND LA PLATA COUNTYRESIDENTS FREQUENTLY TRAVEL BETWEEN COLORADO AND NEW MEXICO FOR WORKAND ESSENTIAL GOODS AND SERVICES. IN THE MEANTIME, THE HEALTH ORDERURGES RESIDENTS TO STAY AT HOME AND AVOID TRAVEL EXCEPT FOR ESSENTIALERRANDS, TO WEAR PROTECTIVE FACE MASKS, AND TO PRACTICE SOCIALDISTANCING BY STAYING AT LEAST SIX FEET AWAY FROM OTHERS. IF YOU’DLIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE LOCAL HEALTH ORDER, VISIT S J B PUBLICHEALTH DOT ORG. THANKS FOR WATCHING THIS EDITION OF LOCAL NEWSNETWORK. I’M WENDY GRAHAM SETTLE.

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