Gov. Polis Visits Broomfield, Adams & Boulder Counties to Discuss COVID-19 Response & Tools for Economic Growth
ADAMS COUNTY - Governor Jared Polis today provided an update on Colorado’s response to COVID-19 from Front Range Community College in Westminster.
“I’m proud to have been in Adams County, Broomfield and Boulder County today seeing how these communities have stepped up in response to the pandemic,” said Governor Jared Polis. “We’ve been traveling across Colorado, visiting schools that are reopening, local COVID Relief Fund recipients doing important work, and businesses that are adapting to new needs and demands. As a state, we are pulling together to get back on our feet and move forward. But in order to continue in this direction, we must keep making responsible decisions. That means avoiding large crowds, wearing masks, and physically distancing. We want to build our economy back stronger than before, and we have to work together to make that happen.”
The Governor was joined by Lt. Governor Dianne Primavera, Betsy Markey, executive director of the Office of Economic Development and International Trade and Representative Shannon Bird.
“I’m proud of the work the Legislature did in partnership with the private sector to help Colorado’s small businesses weather a difficult economy,” said Rep. Shannon Bird, D-Westminster. “With 40% of Colorado’s workforce being employed by small businesses, it was imperative for me and the General Assembly to do everything we could to provide businesses with the resources they need to navigate these challenging times. I’m grateful to our private sector partners who worked with me and my colleagues to create a low interest loan fund that, coupled with the grant fund we created, will direct millions towards helping small businesses keep their doors open.”
Governor Polis addressed concerning case numbers from Boulder. In partnership with Boulder County Public Health and CU Boulder, the state has established two testing sites. A walk up site at the Pleasant Street Parking Lot on the Hill and a drive up site at the Stazio Ball Fields that will be stood up tomorrow, Saturday, September 19. This will allow us to test 2,000 people a day. Yesterday approximately 475 people were tested at the state’s walk up testing site and there was a positivity rate of over 16%.
Today the Governor visited COVID Relief Fund recipients who are making an impact in their communities. The Governor first visited The Inn Between of Longmont which provides supportive housing, then in Lafayette he stopped by the Sister Carmen Community Center Food Bank and the Tru Community Care - Tele-Care Center which provides health care services through telehealth services. The Tru Community Center also used COVID Relief Funds to provide their employees with personal protective equipment.
In Broomfield, the Governor visited Mountain View Elementary School to meet with teachers, faculty and staff. Mountain View has implemented a student pod program to help bridge the gap between in person learning and maintaining a safe socially distant environment.
The state has provided Colorado schools with more than one million masks to schools across the state. In Adams, Boulder, and Broomfield counties, the state has supplied 26,450 masks a week over the past seven weeks, 185,150 total. Adams County received 15,400 per week for a total of 92,400, Boulder County received 10,900 per week for a total of 65,400, and Broomfield County received 150 per week for a total of 900.
Gov. Polis also toured local businesses to discuss tools for economic growth and how the state can help small businesses including the Haystack Creamery in Longmont and AGC Biologics in Boulder, a company that is currently working on a COVID-19 vaccine. AGC moved to Colorado because of OEDIT’s Global Business Development work.
This afternoon the Governor met with local officials in Broomfield to discuss the COVID response.
Governor Jared Polis extended Executive Order D 2020 195 authorizing the executive directors of certain State agencies to promulgate and issue emergency rules extending the expiration date of licenses and other documents due to COVID-19.
He also extended Executive Order D 2020 196 declaring that conditions of extreme fire hazard exist in the State and ordering temporary fire restrictions through September 30, 2020, and signed Executive Order D 2020 197 regarding the Lewstone Fire in Larimer County, which is 100% contained.
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