Colorado will make grants to help counties move to ‘Protect Our Neighbors’ stage of reopening

BY FREDA MIKLIN GOVERNMENTAL REPORTER

On June 30, Governor Jared Polis announced that the next step in reopening Colorado’s economy after Stay-at-Home and Saferat-Home would be Protect Our Neighbors. Under this stage, communities (meaning counties or regions comprised of two or more contiguous counties) “may permit activities at 50% of pre-pandemic capacity, with at least six feet between non-household members, and no more than 500 people in one setting at a time. Communities that can demonstrate strong public health and health care systems -- paired with low virus levels -- should take on more control over their own reopening plans. Strong local public health and health care systems are the key to reopening the economy. Different communities will be at different phases, based on local conditions and capabilities.”

In order to qualify to operate at the Protect Our Neighbors level, counties or regions must submit a mitigation and containment plan to the state that includes 1) how they will promote public compliance with the guidelines for social distancing; 2) increase mask-wearing in public settings; and 3) increase the number of people getting a flu vaccine to prevent the unnecessary loss of health care system capacity that might be needed for COVID-19.

To assist local governments in the move to Protect Our Neighbors, the state will make grants available from CARES Act funds. They will be 1) Planning Grants of up to $50,000 for “consultants and community partners, and to fund community engagement efforts with communities impacted by and at increased risk,” and 2) Infrastructure Strengthening Grants of up to $150,000 in state funds that can be matched with local funds of up to $150,000 for “technology, community resource coordination, communication activities to increase compliance with the public health orders, funding for community-based partners and cultural brokers, and enhanced prevention and containment efforts.”

For counties to qualify for Protect Our Neighbors, they must demonstrate 1) low disease transmission levels, 2) sufficient capacity for testing, investigation, contract tracing, and outbreak response, and 3) sufficient hospital capacity for all patients who might require intensive care. Fmiklin.villager@gmail.com