Denver implements new restrictions on face coverings, gatherings as COVID-19 cases continue to rise

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DENVER — Denver Mayor Michael Hancock announced two new public health orders Friday, October 16, as COVID-19 cases continue to rise in the city.

The first order puts new restrictions in place when it comes to face coverings. The mayor called it a "tougher" mask mandate: face coverings will be mandatory when people are outside, and it will stay in effect until further notice.

There are a few exceptions to the strengthened mask mandate:

  • You are not required to wear a mask if you are outside by yourself
  • You are not required to wear a mask if you are outside with members of your household
  • You are not required to wear a mask if you are participating in organized athletic events (e.g., high school or college sports)

“Here’s our broken record again: wear your face covering and practice social distancing," Hancock said during the press conference.

The second public health order changed the number of non-related people that are allowed to gather in "unregulated settings." The city is reducing that number from 10 to five, and this will stay in place until November 16. Again, there are some exceptions:

  • More than five people can gather if they are all from the same household
  • The gathering limit does not apply to organized sports (it does apply to non-organized sports like pick-up basketball in the park, for example)

Both orders take effect immediately. For more information on the two orders, click here.

Executive Director of Denver Department of Public Health and Environment Bob McDonald also spoke during the press conference. He said in order to return to normalcy, the city needs to keep the COVID-19 test positivity rate below 5 percent. That is the level the World Health Organization recommends before cities stay below in order to contain the virus. Denver is currently at 4.8 percent.

If the number of COVID-19 cases in Denver continue to rise, the city could implement even more restrictions, McDonald said. For example, indoor dining could be increasingly limited, and last call for alcohol could be earlier.

During an October 13 press conference, Governor Jared Polis said Colorado had experienced its highest single-day COVID-19 case count since March. He said Denver and Adams County are driving the increase in cases.

Hancock added that the daily average of new cases in the City and County of Denver is the highest it has been since the beginning of the pandemic.

More information on COVID-19 in Denver, including daily statistics, is available here.