And so we begin Wednesday’s state coronavirus update. 10,868 cases and 506 deaths in Colorado, says Gov. Polis. 
Polis reminds Coloradans that "safer at home" does not mean a return to normal. Limit interactions to people in your households. For most vulnerable, "May is going to look like April."
Again, Polis says this will require personal responsibility. Wear masks, limit social interactions.
No gatherings larger than 10 people. Critical businesses remain open. Retail businesses open for curbside delivery on April 27 and then phased opening with additional precautions.
Still developing guidelines for restaurants and bars, Polis said. Larger social environments, including gyms and spas will remain closed.
K-12 schools are not reopening for this year, Polis said. State still working on precautions to reopen in fall.
This was at the request of superintendents, Polis said. It would be too difficult to change plans this year.
If a business requires all employees to come to work, they will need to look at different shifts, additional safety measures.
"We all need to be very conscientious about how we do this. Stay at home unless you really need to leave," he said.
Safer at home “isn’t any kind of free for all,” Polis said. He said it’s a pandemic, not a vacation. No unnecessary travel. No traveling to recreate. “We need to resist that temptation for a month.”
Polis said the steps will be gradual. "We need to manage our expectations and manage our behavior in the coming months."
Hopes June will be better, but no way to know. If state doesn't succeed in safer at home, restrictions could return, Polis said.
Some analysis of exposure risks for various activities:
What’s not happening in May: big group activities, sporting events. If there is a Major League Baseball season, it will look different, he said.
“Everybody has the same interest in staying safe in this,” Polis said, whether people working in stores or shopping.
Polis said consumers need to work masks, respect social distancing, just as workers need to. “You want to stay safe, you want them to be safe.”
“If you’re sick, you don’t go to work,” he said. That includes any symptoms.
He reiterated that vulnerable populations need to stay home, even though grandparents want to see their grandkids. “We want to make sure they are there for the day when we can have fun with our extended friends and family.” Continue extreme precautions, Polis said.
Stick to solo, noncontact rec activities, Polis said. (Can do them with people in your households)
Offices who were able to have everyone work from home should continue to do so, he said. Up to 50% employees for business that need to.
Businesses should implement symptom monitoring program, Polis said. "It really works."
He mentions someone at the emergency operations center who had an elevated temperature. State was able to stop outbreak with temp monitoring, he said.
Some industries will have specific guidance to their work, including childcare.
Counties or facilities that have specific hotstops may have stricter rules.
Local governments have three options: match state guidelines, have more protections or can have more local flexibility depending on local health department recommendations.
Everything doesn't happen on one day, Polis said. Sunday, April 26, stay at home order still in place. That day, more guidelines will be released for "safer at home."
April 27: Retailers can do curbside delivery, prepare for openings May 1.
May 1: If implemented best practices, stores/personal services who want to open can.
May 4: Offices who have to can open at reduced density.
May 1: If implemented best practices, stores/personal services who want to open can.
May 4: Offices who have to can open at reduced density.
"It's up to Colorado to get it right. I know we'll get it right," Polis said.
Polis said this shouldn't be classified as a grant reopening. "There would be tens of thousands of fatalities in a short amount of time."
And by grant, I mean grand.
Polis said 600 beds coming to Denver Convention Center and 250 to The Ranch in Loveland. He hopes they won't be needed, but they want to give Coloradans a fighting chance.
Most hospitals reporting PPE and ventilator levels stable, Polis said.
Increasing testing and tracing is one of four things need to do, Polis said. "While testing is an important tool ... it's not a panacea. It doesn't solve this. We can't test and trace our way out of this in any model that I've seen."
Polis said need to continue social distancing, isolate vulnerable populations, wear facial covers, increase testing and isolation.
If only thing doing is testing and containment, state would have a peak of 12K people, he said.
Maintaining stay at home order by a few weeks delays the peak but doesn't have much of an impact on severity of the peak, Polis said. But it would hurt economy and psychological effects, per models, Polis said.
Polis said the state is using modeling from University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.
"If we have the evidence, we hope to get the restaurants open in May," Polis said. But it will depend how well Coloradans are doing.
150K tests are expected to arrive in Colorado by the end of the week.
The state has ordered 150K swabs, expected to arrive in mid-May, and state just received 20K swabs.
Colorado is one of the first states to have testing in skilled nursing facilities for asymptomatic people, Polis said.
Polis said more updates on testing coming next week. Just because he doesn’t talk about it daily doesn’t mean it’s not a focus, he said.
Polis stresses that despite testing questions, people can’t just stop social distancing and additional protections for most vulnerable. That means through May and likely in June.
The strategy:
Polis talks about ensuring we continue to have a culture of masks. Here’s a story @abuvthefold wrote about that: denverpost.com/2020/04/12/cor…
He also recommends continued hand washing. Polis wants Coloradans to share their chapped, dry hands. It means they’re being washed, he said.
The governor’s takeaways:
“We could of course go backwards or we could go forwards. I hope we go forward,” Polis said.
Polis said he’s going to answer some questions from the general public.
Why salons and not restaurants? Polis said salons are one-on-one services. 50-60 people in enclosed area very different risk to everybody.
He recognizes they’re all critical and people need the services, but it’s about numbers.
Another question about why opening the state so soon. People seem to be dropping wearing masks. “If anything, this should increase our mask wearing culture,” Polis said. Otherwise this won’t work, he said.
Another person from law firm calls the move reckless to allow offices to reopen. Polis said not everyone can do that, but those who can, should stay home. “People simply can’t make their rent if they don’t have income.” It allows you to go back but doesn’t mean you have to.
On JBS and reopening: Polis said state plans to continue working with Weld County health, JBS and union to make sure it's safe for people to return to work.
Polis said if businesses cram people into their offices, they will face enforcement. Businesses have to meet guidelines, he said.
State plans to release more info about symptom tracer app next week, Polis said.
Officials are working with groups to figure out privacy concerns, he said.
"We're being really very realistic about what we can achieve," Polis said.
Polis called stories that said they're planning for schools to remain closed in the fall were sensationalized. He said he can't guarantee reopening in fall, but they have time to plan for returning to in-person instruction in August. @ehernandez
Players returning to sports in fall is realistic, Polis said. Fans may not be as easy.
Reality is testing orders doesn't mean deliveries, Polis said.
"We're only going to count on things we have in hand," he said. Sometimes FEMA buys them up or they don't end up making it here.
Polis said this is not about opening or reopening, but it's about sustaining a way of life.
The governor says he's going to do the best job he can every day and so will Coloradans. "That's how we're going to get through this safer Colorado."
