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Government responses to and political effects of the coronavirus pandemic, 2020 (Colorado)

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Responses by state

Ballotpedia’s coverage of COVID-19 includes how federal, state, and local governments are responding, and how those responses are influencing election rules and operations, political campaigns, the economy, schools, and more.

This article contains coverage of eight kinds of state government responses to the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. The article tracks developments in these areas that took place between the start of the pandemic in March 2020 through Dec. 4, 2020. The government responses covered here include:

Additionally, the article includes:

To view current coverage areas, including mask requirements, school responses, travel restrictions, and much more, click a state in the map below.

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Changes to election dates and procedures, March 16 through November 19

See also: Changes to election dates, procedures, and administration in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020


General election changes

Colorado did not modify any procedures for the November 3, 2020, general election.

For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, click here.

Primary election changes

Political party events in Colorado were modified as follows:

  • Political party events: Governor Jared Polis (D) signed HB20-1359 into law, extending select political party deadlines for the 2020 election cycle.

For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, click here.

Click the gray bar below for more detailed information.


Statewide stay-at-home order, March 23 through December 4

See also: States with lockdown and stay-at-home orders in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020

Gov. Jared Polis (D) declared a state of emergency on March 10, 2020. At the time of the declaration, officials confirmed that 15 residents tested positive for coronavirus.[2] President Donald Trump (R) declared a major disaster in the state on March 28.[3]

Polis and Jill Hunsaker Ryan, executive director of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, issued an order directing individuals to stay home unless performing essential activities and placing restrictions on non-essential businesses on March 25, 2020. The order was originally set to expire on April 11, 2020. The order was extended on April 6 and expired April 26.[4][5]

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Executive orders, March 30 through June 29

See also: Executive orders issued by governors and state agencies in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020


Court closures, March 17 through November 4

See also: State court closures in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020
  • August 3, 2020: Jury trials were allowed to resume if authorized by the Chief Judge of that particular judicial district.[6]
  • July 24, 2020: Chief Justice Nathan Coats issued an order allowing jury trials to resume August 3 with the authorization of a judicial district's Chief Judge. The Chief Judge would need to determine that a jury pool could be safely assembled consistent with health directives and executive orders.[7]
  • June 15, 2020: The Colorado Supreme Court extended its suspension of jury trials through August 3.[8]
  • May 5, 2020: The Colorado Supreme Court extended its suspension of jury trials through July 6.[9]
  • April 16, 2020: The Colorado Supreme Court extended its suspension of jury trials through June 1.[10]
  • March 23, 2020: The Colorado Supreme Court extended their March 16 order, postponing jury trials through May 15, 2020.[11]
  • March 16, 2020: Colorado Supreme Court Chief Justice Nathan Coats ordered that all Colorado jury trials be postponed until April.[12]

Legislative session changes, March 20 through October 1

See also: Changes to state legislative session dates in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020

The Colorado State Legislature suspended its session, effective March 14, 2020, through May 26, 2020. The suspension had originally been scheduled to continue through March 30, 2020. The suspension was then subsequently extended, first to April 2, 2020, then to May 18, 2020, and then to May 26, 2020. The legislature adjourned on June 15, 2020.[13][14][15][16][17][18]

Proposed and enacted legislation, March 25 through August 19

See also: State laws in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020

See below for a complete list of bills related to the coronavirus pandemic in Colorado. To learn more about a particular bill, click its title. This information is provided by BillTrack50 and LegiScan.

Rent, mortgage, eviction, and foreclosure policies, April 9 through November 24

See also: Changes to rent, mortgage, eviction, and foreclosure policies in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020


  • August 10, 2020: Gov Jared Polis (D) extended a requirement that landlords give tenets who were late on their rent 30 days notice before beginning eviction proceedings. The requirement was extended for 30 days.[19]
  • July 12, 2020: Gov Jared Polis (D) extended a requirement that landlords give tenets who were late on their rent 30 days notice before beginning eviction proceedings. The order was extended through August 11.[20]
  • June 13, 2020: Gov Jared Polis (D) extended the moratorium on evictions and foreclosures through July 13. He also issued an executive order that established a $3 million, short-term rental and mortgage assistance for low-to-moderate-income households.[21][22]
  • May 29, 2020: Gov. Jared Polis (D) extended the moratorium on evictions and foreclosures through June 15.[23]
  • April 30, 2020: Gov. Jared Polis (D) signed an executive order that temporarily suspended evictions and foreclosures in the state through the month of May, except in cases where a tenant posed a safety risk.[24]

Local

  • March 16, 2020: Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock announced that evictions in the city would temporarily cease.[25]


Prison inmate release responses, March 30 through July 1

See also: State and local governments that released prison inmates in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020
  • May 29, 2020: The Colorado Department of Corrections announced on May 29 that 290 inmates have been released following a March 25th order from Gov. Jared Polis (D) which authorized the DOC to release people within 180 days of their parole eligibility date.[26]
  • May 28, 2020:The American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado filed a class-action lawsuit against Gov. Jared Polis (D) and the Colorado Department of Corrections seeking an emergency order that would release inmates who are vulnerable to coronavirus.[27]
  • April 13, 2020: The Colorado Department of Corrections announced that 52 prisoners were granted early release.[28]
  • March 26, 2020: Gov. Jared Polis signed an executive order which granted the director of the Department of Corrections "broad authority to release people within 180 days of their parole eligibility date, and suspended limits on awarding earned time, to allow for earlier release dates."[29] A few counties made the decision to release incarcerated individuals on the local level.[30]


Debate in Colorado over responses to the coronavirus

See also: Debate in Colorado over responses to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020

Ballotpedia is covering the debate over continuing restrictions and closures in Colorado in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Click on the links below to read more about these debates.

Status of industries, May 15 through July 31

Between May 15 and July 31, we conducted detailed tracking of industries and activities in each state daily.

  • "Yes" means an activity was allowed or an industry was permitted to open. "No" means an activity was not allowed or an industry was not permitted to reopen.
  • Some rules were applied regionally rather than statewide. Each cell shows the loosest restriction in place at the time, or the broadest level of an activity permitted in the state, even if that activity was only permitted regionally. Where applicable, we indicated that an activity was only permitted regionally, and provided details in a cell note. For example, if gyms were permitted to open in half of a state, the spreadsheet would say "Yes (regionally)," and differences between the regions would be explained in a note.
  • A lack of detail in a note or parentheses does not necessarily mean that an activity or industry was "back to normal." We did our best to capture caveats, exceptions, and modifications to activities. We acknowledge, though, that states put forth a large number of requirements for many industries and activities.

Initial reopening plan from March and April 2020 closures

Colorado released an initial reopening plan from March and April 2020 closures on April 26, 2020. An analysis of this plan appeared in our Documenting America's Path to Recovery newsletter on April 28. The sections below include an analysis of the plan, the details of the plan, and reactions from officials to the plan.

Summary from Documenting America's Path to Recovery

See also: Documenting America's Path to Recovery: April 28, 2020

On April 26, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) issued an executive order, “Safer At Home,” that outlines how the state will reopen portions of its economy over the next week. Polis said, “Together, Coloradans have been effective in leveling and flattening the curve, but life will remain much more dangerous than usual these next few months and we should all wear masks when in public. Safer at Home is by no means a free-for-all.” Under the order, retail businesses were permitted to open for curbside delivery Monday. Real estate home showings and elective medical procedures were also allowed to resume. On May 1, retail and personal service businesses can reopen if they are using best practices outlined by the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment. On May 4, offices and childcare facilities can reopen with restrictions. The executive order allows local governments to implement more restrictive conditions than the state order provides or loosen restrictions if certain public health conditions are met. Denver Mayor Michael Hancock, for example, extended his city’s stay-at-home order until May 8. Restrictions on restaurants and other non-essential businesses are set to run until May 11. “When we think about where we are in terms of testing and contact tracing, we realize we are not anywhere near close to being ready to do this,” Hancock said. Polis called this Level 2 of the state’s reopening. The next level—which would see bars, restaurants, and clubs reopen with social distancing measures—does not have an effective date. While Polis said he would like to see these businesses reopen by mid-May, that will depend on data and modeling.

Context

  • Polis declared a state of emergency on March 10, 2020. On March 25, Polis issued a stay-at-home order scheduled to run through April 11. On April 7, he extended the order to April 26.
  • On Monday, Colorado joined the Western States Pact with California, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington to coordinate on a regional response to the pandemic. The pact lists three shared principles that will govern the states’ reopening plans: (1) residents’ health comes first, (2) health outcomes rather than politics will guide decisions, and (3) each state must work together and with local leaders.
  • As of Tuesday, Colorado had 13,879 coronavirus cases, 2,485 hospitalizations, and 706 total deaths. Eight new deaths were reported on April 24. Four new deaths were reported on both Saturday and Sunday.
  • Colorado is a Democratic trifecta. Democrats control both chambers in the state legislature, and Polis is a Democratic governor.

Plan details

The Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment published guidance on reopening dates and best practices for industries across the state. Social distancing guidelines include physical distancing of 6 feet and gatherings limited to 10 or fewer people.

  • Office-based businesses can reopen May 4 with 50% in-office occupancy and telecommuting maximized.
  • Childcare facilities can reopen May 4 if following the Department's best practices. This does not apply to summer camps or public preschool on public school campuses.
  • Primary and secondary education will operate through remote learning for the rest of the school year with limited exceptions.
  • Higher education facilities should maximize remote learning. In-person learning may be conducted in certain circumstances with approval from the Department of Higher Education.
  • Field services and real estate and elective medical services reopened with restrictions Monday.
  • Nursing homes must continue to restrict visitation from non-essential individuals. Facilities must submit an isolation plan to the Department of Public Health by May 1.
  • Indoor recreation facilities remain closed.
  • Retail businesses reopened for curbside pick-up and delivery Monday. They can reopen with restrictions on May 1.

Local governments can enhance these restrictions, including extending stay-at-home orders or instituting additional protective measures. They can also relax guidelines if they can show their county’s coronavirus infection rate has declined for 14 consecutive days. Several counties, including Eagle, Fremont, and Custer, have already planned to or submitted exemption waivers to set their own reopening guidelines. Polis also established the New Normal Advisory Board by executive order to advise on local and state coordination. The 14-member group consists of 10 local officials representing different municipality sizes. It's members also include the governor’s chief of staff and the executive directors of the Department of Public Health & Environment, Department of Public Safety, and Department of Regulatory Agencies.

Reactions

  • Jill Hunsaker Ryan, the executive director of the Colorado Department of Health and Environment, said, “Basically this is a really tricky balance between trying to continue to keep the disease transmission at a level at which it won't overwhelm our hospital systems and allow people to still try and earn a living, frankly.” She said Colorado did not yet have sufficient testing to detect how widespread the coronavirus is.
  • Rep. Ken Buck (R) said, “It’s important we continue to take measured steps that allow businesses to safely open their doors and get Coloradans back to work. We must also ensure high-risk folks still have the option to work from home.”
  • Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D) said, “Colorado is a diverse state, and local jurisdictions benefit from strong leadership at the state level, as well as the ability to determine what’s best for their resident.”

Coronavirus resources

Click the links below to explore official resources related to the coronavirus outbreak.

State resources

Twitter feeds for government officials and agencies appear below.

Federal resources

See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Colorado General Assembly, "HB20-1359: Ballot Access Modifications Public Health Concerns," accessed March 17, 2020
  2. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named bi
  3. ↑ The Denver Post, "President Trump approves Colorado’s major disaster declaration," March 28, 2020
  4. ↑ Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, "Amended Public Health Order 20-24 Implementing Stay at Home Requirements," March 25, 2020
  5. ↑ CPR News, "Gov. Polis Extends Colorado Stay At Home Order Through April 26, Encourages Coloradans To Cheer Healthcare Workers," April 6, 2020
  6. ↑ Supreme Court of Colorado, "Updated Order Regarding COVID-19 and Operation of Colorado State Courts," July 24, 2020
  7. ↑ Supreme Court of Colorado, "Updated Order Regarding COVID-19 and Operation of Colorado State Courts," July 24, 2020
  8. ↑ Supreme Court of Colorado, "Updated Order Regarding COVID-19 and Operation of Colorado State Courts," June 15, 2020
  9. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named May6
  10. ↑ Supreme Court of Colorado, "Order Regarding COVID-19 and Operation of Colorado State Courts," April 16, 2020
  11. ↑ National Center for State Courts, "Coronavirus and the Courts," March 23, 2020
  12. ↑ The Denver Post, "Most Colorado jury trials postponed until April; some courts closed until Wednesday," March 16, 2020
  13. ↑ CBS Denver, "State Legislature Adjourned Until March 30th," March 14, 2020
  14. ↑ 9 News, "What will Colorado lawmakers do when they come back to work after COVID-19?" March 30, 2020
  15. ↑ The Denver Post, "Colorado legislature can resume its regular session after breaking for coronavirus, Supreme Court rules," April 1, 2020
  16. ↑ The Denver Post, "Colorado lawmakers bracing for coronavirus budget hit of up to $3 billion," April 9, 2020
  17. ↑ The Denver Post, "Amid coronavirus, Colorado lawmakers delay return until after Memorial Day," May 10, 2020
  18. ↑ Colorado Politics, "They're back: Colorado legislature gavels in much poorer than they gaveled out," May 26, 2020
  19. ↑ U.S. News and World Report, "Colorado Governor Extends Eviction Notice Order to 30 Days," August 11, 2020
  20. ↑ CPR News, "Polis Extended His Order Requiring 30-Day Notice Before Evictions. Housing Advocates Worry It Only Delays The Inevitable," July 13, 2020
  21. ↑ Jared Polis Governor, "Providing Housing Assistance and Relief to Coloradans Affected by COVID-19," June 13, 2020
  22. ↑ Jred Polis Governor, "Ordering the Temporary Limiting of Certain Evictions to Provide Relief to Coloradans Affected by COVID-19," June 13, 2020
  23. ↑ The Denver Post, "Colorado governor extends eviction, foreclosure protections for 15 days," May 29, 2020
  24. ↑ NBC News, "Colorado temporarily suspends evictions during pandemic," May 1, 2020
  25. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named EvictMA
  26. ↑ Prison Policy Initiative, "Responses to the COVID-19 pandemic," June 1, 2020
  27. ↑ NBC 9 News, "ACLU lawsuit asks for release of nonviolent inmates at risk due to COVID-19," May 28, 2020
  28. ↑ The Denver Post, "52 inmates released early from Colorado prisons as officials try to create space in case of coronavirus outbreaks," April 13, 2020
  29. ↑ Prison Policy Initiative, "Responses to the COVID-19 pandemic," March 31, 2020
  30. ↑ CPR News, "Colorado’s Justice System Is Still Catching Up To Coronavirus," March 24, 2020
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