Kelsey Brunner/The Aspen Times
Restaurants and lodges in Aspen, Snowmass Village and elsewhere in Pitkin County can re-open their doors Wednesday.
That’s because the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) granted Pitkin County’s request for a variance from the state’s “Safer at Home” public health order on Sunday, according to a county news release.
The variance, which was submitted to CDPHE on May 18 and based off of local data about the spread and impacts of COVID-19, will allow Pitkin County to implement Phase 2 of its Roadmap to Reopening on Wednesday — regardless if it differs from or is less restrictive than the state’s next public health order.
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“We are happy that we can start reopening portions of our tourist based economy,” said Steve Child, chair of the Pitkin County Board of Commissioners, in a prepared statement.
Pitkin County pursued a broad variance request to current and future state public health orders to give flexibility in implementing its Roadmap to Reopening and to reintroduce lodging, dine-in service for restaurants and permitted events up to a maximum of 50 people, pending a COVID-19 safety plan.
Now that the variance has been approved, Pitkin County’s public health order will be amended effective Wednesday to allow the following:
- Lodging will be allowed to open at 50% daily capacity with a COVID-19 safety plan to include sector-specific guidance.
- Restaurants will be allowed to open under the county’s restaurant guidelines, with one exception: Indoor seating capacity should be limited by physical distancing requirements and 50% of facility capacity (whichever is more restrictive). The 50% seating capacity only applies to indoor seating and not to outdoor seating, which must meet physical distancing requirements.
- A maximum group/event size of 50 was approved in the variance. Gatherings over 10 people must be a county or municipality permitted event with a COVID-19 safety plan. Informal gatherings (house parties, etc.) will remain limited to 10 or under. There is a preference for outdoor events, and a limit of 50% of facility capacity for indoor events/gatherings.
While most of the county’s variance request was approved, CDPHE stopped short of approving the opening of bars, concert halls and music venues.
In granting the variance, Jill Husaker Ryan, CDPHE executive director, said, “Pitkin County’s variance application describes a strong public health system in Pitkin County, with effective disease investigation and surveillance, and partnership with Aspen Valley Hospital, which has the capacity to provide care to ill individuals,” the news release states.
The county has had 57 confirmed COVID-19 cases to date, with just two of those cases occurring in the last two weeks. There have been two confirmed COVID-19 deaths.
This is a developing story that will be updated.