The Haxtun-Fleming Herald - What can we reason but from what we know? -Alexander Pope

Phillips County's variance request from portions of Colorado Governor Jared Polis's Safer at Home executive order has been approved by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. The variance relates to specific functions including planned public gatherings, restaurants, places of worship, bars and gyms.

The variance was good through May 26, at which point the State was expected to re-evaluate the Safer at Home plan. According to Phillips County Emergency Manager Bob Heldenbrand, on May 25 the Governor is expected to announce the status of how the Safer at Home order is working and is expected to provide information on the next steps.

At that time, several options could happen with the approved variance including extending it as is, extending it with stricter guidelines or extending it with fewer restrictions.

As of May 22, Phillips County has a total of 12 confirmed cases of COVID-19; the fewest in Northeast Colorado with the exception of Sedgwick County, which is listed to have none.

In relation to public gatherings, the Phillips County Commissioners requested to increase the number of individuals from 10 to 50.

"We view the risk of disease transmission to be lower in an outdoor environment when the activity is low contact and where ongoing, sustained contact by individuals outside of one's household can be avoided and social distancing can be maintained at all times. This outdoor environment, while not risk-free, coupled with the protections that you describe in the plan and the few additional requirements here, provide a reasonable basis for the approval of this portion of the variance application," the variances states. "Indoor, enclosed environments that are authorized for capacity above 10 people are either identified in the Safer at Home executive order and public health order or are specifically authorized below as part of this variance approval. Any gatherings in indoor spaces shall follow the specific requirements set forth in the Safer at Home orders, or if approved through this variance process, shall follow these variance approval requirements. Any planned outdoor public gathering of more than 10 individuals needs to be submitted to the Northeast Colorado Health Department for review and approval. The plans must include a minimum of six feet distancing between participants and require face coverings."

This portion of the variance applies to public gatherings identified in the application, including a barrel racing clinic and the outdoor race tracks planned at the Phillips County Fairgrounds later this month. No statewide decisions have been made regarding county fairs so a new submission request may need to be submitted at a later date for that event.

The Phillips County variance allows restaurants and bars to re-open under strict requirements including limiting the number of customers to 50 percent seating capacity indoors with a total of no more than 50 customers.

All bars and restaurants must also follow the following guidelines: require signage on doors telling guests that are experiencing COVID-like symptoms not to enter; customers must wear face coverings when entering the restaurant until seated at their tables; customers must be asked prior to entering a restaurant whether they have any symptoms of COVID-19, and any customers reporting symptoms must be excluded; try to make accommodations for high-risk individuals; group parties should be limited to six, ideally to members of the same household; place markings on the floor to maintain at least six feet distance in customer lines; in-room dining shall follow strict physical distancing (six feet); customers should make reservations online or by phone; every effort should be made to notify customers via text or phone call when their table is ready so there is no waiting in a lobby or outside in line; self-serving stations shall remain closed; no public sharing of utensils or condiments; buffets shall have an employee serving the food, no self-service allowed; employees and contracted workers must wear face coverings at all times; implement and maintain barriers for high contact settings when possible; stagger shifts if feasible to decrease employees at the restaurant where possible; limit reusable items; if possible, provide hand sanitizer at tables or in highly used locations; frequent cleaning and disinfecting of all surfaces and increased frequency of high touch items/areas.

Churches have also been given the go-ahead to resume in-person worship with similar guidelines to restaurants in that the number of participants are limited to 50 percent seating capacity. Additionally, people are expected to be spread out so there is at least six feet distance between individuals and families.

Places of worship must also follow these guidelines: require signage at doors telling guests that are experiencing COVID-like symptoms not to enter; participants should be encouraged to wear a face covering both when entering and while present in the house of worship; participants must be asked whether they have COVID-19 symptoms at the door and excluded from the place of worship if symptomatic; consider accommodations for high-risk individuals (e.g. online viewing); place markings on doors to maintain at least six feet distance where lines form; implement touchless offering and communion options as much as possible; workforce (staff & volunteers) must wear face coverings at all times while working; perform frequent cleaning and disinfection of bathrooms and high-touch surfaces.

Phillips County gyms are also expected to re-open with a limit to the number of clients in the facility. According to the order, the number of clients must be 30 percent capacity, with a total of no more than 50 customers at a time, or whichever is less. Gyms must also: ask customers whether they have COVID-19 symptoms at the door and excluded from the fitness center if symptomatic; post signs at entrances encouraging the public to wear face coverings in order to enter the business and while in the facility, unless a face covering inhibits the participant's ability to participate in the fitness activity; consider accommodations for high-risk individuals (e.g. early opening, Senior hour); spread people out so there is at least six feet distance between individuals throughout; use of equipment in the fitness center must be limited to no closer than every other machine so that participants are not exercising right next to each other; smaller exercise rooms with poor ventilation should be discouraged from use; perform frequent environmental cleaning and disinfection of bathrooms and high-touch surfaces and between customer uses; require employees to disinfect equipment after every use; employees and contracted workers must wear face coverings covering the nose and mouth at all times while working; group classes are not allowed; sport courts shall remain closed; locker rooms shall remain closed; saunas, pools (indoor and outdoor) and shared spaces shall remain closed; food/drink bars shall remain closed.

The variance approval letter from the CDPHE said the data and information included in the request demonstrates that Phillips County has a disease prevention and response system in that includes ongoing testing, public health nurses to perform contact tracing as needed and sector-specific guidance and ongoing public education. "Additionally, the critical access hospitals in Phillips County currently have the resources to treat a small number of cases, and also have transfer agreements in place if patient transfer becomes necessary."