Jeffco Close To Losing Variance, Health Officials Say

JEFFERSON COUNTY, CO — Jefferson and other counties in Colorado have received notices from the state that they are at risk of losing their variances, county officials said. The variances allow some regions — those that can prove contained spread of the coronavirus — more leniency from the state's public health guidelines.

Jefferson County received approval of a variance in early June, which allowed more lenient capacity limits for group gatherings, event centers, places of worship, malls, brewpubs, distilleries and other venues. The county has submitted a second variance request, but the state has put a two-week pause on the review of variance submissions due to a rise in the number of COVID-19 cases.

Jefferson County Public Health issued a new order Monday that requires venues that host large events to provide a plan outlining how they will adhere to the state's public health orders.

The county also issued a face covering mandate July 14 that requires all residents and visitors to wear a mask or face covering in public when social distancing guidelines can't be followed.

There has been an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in Jefferson County since mid-June, health officials said. When the county’s first variance request was approved, local officials were given a threshold limit of 580 cases for a two-week period. Between July 5 and July 18, 486 cases were confirmed in the county, the agency said.

Mark Johnson, Jeffco Public Health's executive director, said the county "must take swift, strategic action now to help keep our cases below the permitted threshold."

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“Having our local variance revoked would be detrimental to our residents and local businesses,” Johnson said in a statement.

“In addition to requiring plans for large gatherings, we need residents to take this very seriously and do their part to help keep our cases down — wear a mask in when in public, stay 6 feet away from others who don’t live in your home, wash your hands frequently and get tested and isolate if you have symptoms of COVID-19.”