Thread by @CityofDenver

LIVE NOW: Denver moves into new Level Red restrictions.
Watch @MayorHancock and @DDPHE explain what this means for Denver residents and businesses. Stream live:

➡️facebook.com/CityandCountyo…
➡️denvergov.org

Joining @MayorHancock today is Bob McDonald from @DDPHE.

Here’s a quick update on changes to a couple different city functions:

➡ Beginning Monday, Nov 23, all Denver DMV branches will be closed to in-person service until further notice.

➡ In-person service at our Tax Payer Service Center will be reduced to two days a week.

The services offered by these two operations will still be available for residents to access online at Denvergov.org.

We’re shifting these two services back to a more virtual setting as part of our own efforts to reduce the number of places where people can gather and potentially spread the virus to others.

Across the nation, the third wave of this pandemic is unlike anything we’ve experienced before.

It was predictable.

The absence of a coordinated national response on nearly every aspect of this pandemic is forcing states, counties, and cities to act on their own.

And the utter failure and refusal of Congress to help – is shameful.

At a time of national crisis, with lives and livelihoods at stake, the fact that some elected officials are chasing conspiracy theories about the election, undermining democracy, still debating the usefulness of masks, is appalling.

COVID-19 is surging across the entire country at an alarming pace – more than 100,000 new cases a day for over two weeks.

Nearly 80,000 people have been hospitalized with COVID-19, a rising death toll, and a national positivity rate that now exceeds 10 percent.

While our numbers have also been spiking here in Colorado and in Denver, we continue to be proactive.

On Tuesday, Denver and several other metro-area counties received the official notice from @coloradogov that we have been moved to the new red level on the State’s updated dial system.

This was unwelcomed news, but we understand what @GovofCO & State health officials are trying to do, and that is to curb infections, save lives and protect an already stressed health care system from imploding – a circumstance that would have catastrophic impact on our community.

The enhanced restrictions for this new level go into effect at 5 p.m. today and will be in place at least until the week that ends on December 18.

Some of the new capacity restrictions in place during this time:

➡️ Office spaces should be down to 10% capacity for on-site employees – and we are encouraging as many people as possible to work from home during this time.

➡️ Indoor dining at restaurants is temporarily closed.

Some of the new capacity restrictions in place during this time:

➡️ Restaurants can continue to offer outdoor patio seating – with last call at 8 PM – as well as curbside pickup & delivery.

➡️ Retail stores can continue to operate, but they must be at 50 percent capacity.

Speaking of the holidays, Thanksgiving is less than a week away and @MayorHancock’s usual gathering of 50 family members and close friends is going to look a lot different this year.

Please, we urge you, get a small turkey and celebrate with just those you live with.

After the meal, Zoom with your extended family, all your friends, everyone that you miss – and tell them you look forward to seeing them real soon.

We know this is hard.

We know you hate this.

We all hate this.

But we are doing our best to avoid a complete shutdown of our economy and, as the @GovofCO put it the other day, a “catastrophic breach” of our hospital system. We are trying our best to protect lives and to protect livelihoods.

We’re asking, urging, and pleading with everyone to stay home.

Please, only go out for essential needs.

With more good news about a second possible vaccine coming out this week, we’ve got some hope – but we are about to enter the hardest phase of this pandemic.

If this virus continues to spread like it is right now, it won’t just mean another stay-at-home order – it will mean more easily preventable loss of life.

It will also mean further devastation to our economy, and people’s livelihoods, creating another easily preventable public health crisis.

We know our local businesses are being hit especially hard right now.

With @GovofCO calling a special session of the legislature, some additional relief will be coming from the State.

We will continue to look for ways to provide financial relief for our local businesses, so they can keep their doors open and their employees employed.

Thank you to the members of Denver’s Economic Relief & Recovery Council who have been by our side, providing guidance, recommendations, and clear pathways to help support our businesses and nonprofits across the city.

To date, we have provided nearly $10 million in #COVID19 relief grants to 1,760 small businesses & another $2 million to nonprofits

➡️Incl. 614 small business grants, totaling over $3M awarded just over the last week
➡️$4M more will be dispersed to small biz & nonprofits by EOY

The city will again be waiving the 15% penalty for late payment for sales and use, occupational privilege, and seat taxes for Nov. taxes due Dec. 20, 2020.

The city is also partnering with @shopsidewalk to bring free technical support and a locally-focused e-commerce platform to independent small brick and mortar retail businesses.

The platform is designed to help local customers find and buy products from local stores in close proximity to their neighborhood.

.@MayorHancock had directed both the city finance and @DenverOED teams to explore additional relief we can provide to local businesses and workers to ease the burden of these additional capacity restrictions.

We can get through this, and we can do what we need to prevent the further spread of this virus.

For the next few weeks, we need everyone to stay home and stay safe as much as possible.

It’s going to be tough, but we can bring these numbers back down if everyone works together.

As a nation, we have some work to do when it comes to #COVID19. Here’s where we are:

In Colorado, 20 other counties recently joined Denver on the State's Red Level.

Our case count continues to go up. As shown below:

Our hospitals continue to struggle. It’s not a matter of space and equipment, but rather staffing levels that we are concerned about.

If we are diligent and follow these new restrictions, we will start to see an improvement.

#COVID19 cases are growing, but prevention strategies are proven. Please continue to:

Denver is engaged in #COVID19 testing at a community level—meeting those who have been most impacted by the virus where they live. Learn more & check location schedules prior to visiting at Denvergov.org/COVID19Testing.

A vaccine will be what gets us out of this virus, but face coverings and social distancing are what will help us get through the next few months. Please continue to do your part, Denver.