Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post
Gov. Jared Polis on Wednesday said he was issuing a statewide stay-at-home order starting Thursday morning to try to slow the spread of the new coronavirus.
The order goes into effect at 6 a.m. on Thursday and continues until at least April 11.
The decision to enact the mandate comes just days after Polis said such an order was unenforceable and not the right direction for the state. Instead, on Sunday he issued “guidance” asking Coloradans not to leave their homes unless absolutely necessary.
But on Monday and earlier on Wednesday counties in the Denver metro area essentially shut down by each enacting their own stay-at-home orders. Other Colorado counties, including Piktin, San Miguel and La Plata, also issued stay-at-home orders on their own.
The order is the most significant step Polis has taken as he tries to make a dent in the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus. He announced it just minutes after the deaths tied to the coronavirus in Colorado hit at least 19 and the number of confirmed cases ballooned over 1,000.
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This is a developing story that will be updated.