Denver Mayor Michael Hancock Provides Coronavirus Update

DENVER, CO—Denver Mayor John Hancock updated residents on the city's response to the coronavirus pandemic Tuesday. To date, the mayor said 206 people in Denver have succumbed to COVID-19 and nearly 3,500 have contracted the virus.

“This virus is very much a part of our lives and will be with us for the foreseeable future," Hancock said during the news conference.

While the city isn't out of the woods yet, the mayor said Denver residents have played a big role in helping the city slow the spread of the virus by staying home, limiting contact with others and wearing a face covering as much as possible.

"Based on our residents’ efforts, the data we’re seeing and guidance from our public health experts, we feel comfortable at this time not extending Denver’s stay-at-home order beyond this Friday, May 8, and starting the phased reopening of our city beginning on Saturday, May 9," Mayor Hancock said.

Face coverings required starting Wednesday, May 6

Starting Wednesday, the city will require face coverings in certain public settings. According to the mayor, these face coverings don't have to be a surgical or N95 mask. It can be a bandana, a modified t-shirt, ski gear or a cloth covering you can make at home, as long as it covers the nose and mouth.

Residents and employees will be required to wear face coverings while inside of or waiting to enter any retail or commercial business, common areas and enclosed spaces, like an elevator or at a bus stop, on the bus, or in a rideshare, any government building or health care facility.

"You do not need to wear a face-covering if you’re out for a walk, exercising outdoors or driving in your car," the mayor said. "We see a lot of residents and businesses already starting to make face coverings a part of their routine, so we hope that through voluntary compliance, folks will follow this order."

Reopening the city in phases

During the news conference, the mayor announced plans to begin slowly reopening the city in phases. Starting Saturday, these businesses can start to reopen:

• Offices, with only 50 percent of their employees on-site and six feet of physical distancing between them
• Retail biz, with only 50 percent of employees on-site and six feet of physical distancing available between customers
• Hair & nail salons, tattoo parlors, pet groomers & personal trainers with 10 or fewer people in a single location or a maximum of 50 percent occupancy, whichever is less
• by appointment only with no walk-ins;
• and strict requirements for PPE and physical distancing
• The eye doctor, chiropractor or other limited healthcare facilities with 10 or fewer people in a single location or a maximum of 50 percent occupancy, whichever is less AND
• by appointment only with no walk-ins
• Services that must be done on site, like in-person, real estate showings
• College campuses and buildings

"If you are a business or office that can reopen, but you can still operate with your employees working from home, please continue working from home," Mayor Hancock said.

To reopen, the mayor said that businesses must have protective measures in place to keep employees and the public as safe as possible, such as special hours for vulnerable populations, six feet of physical distancing between people, symptom and temperature checks, removal or frequent disinfecting of common spaces.

Some establishments to still remain closed

As some facilities and businesses begin to reopen, the mayor said many establishments will remain closed until further notice. They include:

• Restaurants and bars, except for curbside pickup and delivery
• Movie theaters, live-performance theaters and concert venues
• Stadiums and arenas
• Gyms and yoga/fitness studios, with very limited exceptions
• Stores on the inside of malls that don’t have outdoor public entrances/exits
• Outdoor recreation facilities such as playgrounds and tennis/basketball courts
• City recreation centers and libraries

Large gatherings of ten people or more will still be prohibited through May 26, the mayor added.

Impact of the coronavirus on the city's budget

According to the mayor, the coronavirus has forced city leaders to make some tough choices when it comes to the budget in order to maintain essential services for residents.

"Right now, we see at least a $180 million gap from lost revenue. Likely more. That’s a gap that can’t be filled without some sacrifice," the mayor said.

Hancock said he sent a letter to the city's Colorado congressional delegation urging them to include direct funding relief to cities and states. The mayor said he's also formed an Economic Recovery and Relief Council to develop recommendations to support the relief, recovery and stabilization of the Denver economy.

Watch Denver Mayor Michael Hancock's news conference in its entirety:

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