Moe Clark, The Colorado Sun
Gov. Jared Polis on Monday afternoon ordered the closure of all Colorado restaurants and bars to in-person dining in a dramatic effort to slow the spread of the new coronavirus as it rapidly spreads across the state.
The order is for 30 days, but is renewable.
“Our hearts go out to the 240,000 employees who are in the food and beverage industry,” Polis said in a news conference at the state Capitol.
The order comes after Denver Mayor Michael Hancock and several mountain communities — including Gunnison, Summit and San Miguel counties — made the same decision for their cities and counties just hours earlier on Monday in response to COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. The Denver order is set to last eight weeks.
Take out and delivery are still allowed under the orders.
Gunnison and Summit counties, which have been among the hardest hit by the virus, have gone so far as to order the closure of lodging businesses, including hotels, motels, timeshares and short term rentals. They’re also shutting down non-essential businesses.
Read more at coloradosun.com.