NEW: @GovofCO Polis’ guest speaker for today’s briefing is state epidemiologist Dr Rachel Herlihy, suggesting they will directly address new state modeling calling for significant social distancing through the end of 2020. Will thread details here. #9News #COVID19Colorado
Polis notes Eagle County is the first to request re-opening exceptions. Cites it as good news. Says they “got their act together.” Notes they were an early hotspot that had restrictions early.
NEW: @GovofCO Polis says he expects Eagle County will be the first to re-open. Plans to be there Thursday or Friday for the announcement. #9News #covid19colorado
NEW: @GovofCO Polis says he’ll look at many COVID-19 models but the state’s own model (calling for 55% social distancing for months) is the “most relevant.” #9News #covid19colorado
Dr Herlihy is recapping the info that all the cool kids read about earlier today in this thread:
"I hate to break it to you, but the sprint was the easy part," @GovofCO Polis said, referring to current stay-home order. He called the upcoming months a "marathon."
Gov. Polis calls COVID-19 "Russian roulette" for older people. This seems a statistical stretch but you know what he's saying.
NEW: "The stay-at-home period is ending," @GovofCO Polis said. His clearest language yet that the statewide order will end, as scheduled on April 26. #9NEWS #COVID19Colorado
Polis is asking employers to prioritize telecommuting availability for at-risk employees, including those with pre-existing chronic conditions, asthma, and pregnant women.
State health experts say widespread testing is a requirement to re-opening safely. And they've said we're not there yet. If I'm allowed to ask Polis a question, I'll be asking whether he believes we'll have said testing seven days from now, or if he'll re-open without it.
@AndyKnny snapped a photo of the slide on Stay At Home vs Safer At Home.
may someone choose not to have someone else infect them with covid-19?
NEW: Colorado will not re-open schools (Higher Ed, K-12) when stay-home order is lifted April 27th, per slide in Governor's briefing today. #9NEWS #COVID19Colorado
pluck yourself up by your bootstraps
hadn't considered this salient point
Polis indicates that individual municipalities in Colorado can choose stricter social distancing restrictions after stay-home order is lifted.
"There's no government, county, or state that can keep you safe better than yourself," @GovofCO Polis said. "We need to move on in a way that's sustainable."
NEW: @GovofCO Polis is significantly walking back the need for widespread testing before re-opening Colorado on April 27th. Says more testing would allow greater levels of social contact, but state can re-open without it. #9NEWS #COVID19Colorado
"Testing is great, Polis said. "Even if you had all of that testing you wouldn't be able to follow up from a tracing perspective."
NEW: A striking statement from @GovofCO Polis who says even if Colorado had the widespread COVID-19 testing his own public health officials have called a "requirement" that we wouldn't have the ability to follow-up and do the needed contact tracing. #9NEWS #COVID19Colorado
"There's another problem with testing," Polis said, returning to the issue without prompting. Says 25-50% of COVID-19 patients are asymptomatic and there would never be enough tests for everyone. He's clearly looking to bury the idea of widespread testing once and for all.
"Testing for testing's sake doesn't really accomplish anything," Polis says, again returning unprompted to knock down the idea of widespread testing. Says testing must be paired with contact tracing and isolation. (Which is what public health officials said Colorado needs.)
And that's it. The briefing has ended.
