Colorado Capitol Report

Several Counties End Stay at Home Orders Today

Several Counties End Stay at Home Orders Today

Today is the last day of the Stay at Home Orders in many counties across the State including Denver, Adams, Arapahoe, Broomfield and Jefferson.  These counties will all follow the Statewide “Safer at Home” safety guidelines adopted by Governor Polis for businesses that open their operations beginning tomorrow.

Non-essential businesses in the metro area that can re-open include non-essential retailers, personal services, hair salons and commercial businesses.  Offices will be able to re-open but must limit workplaces to 50% of their employees on site.  Exceptions continue to include bars, restaurants and casinos.  Neither the State nor these counties have stated when the other businesses can re-open and much of the decision-making will be based on COVID-19 infection rate data.  The City of Denver has also enforced a mandate on the public to wear masks or face coverings when entering a public business, government buildings, or when using mass transit and ride-share vehicles.

Please contact Loren Furman at [email protected] or at 303-866.9642 with any questions regarding this matter.

Updated Guidance to Employers Includes Changes to Temperature Check Requirements

Last week, Governor Polis issued a “Safer at Home” Executive Order allowing businesses to gradually re-open their operations. The re-opening process requires employers follow safety protocols in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Colorado Chamber, individual employers and local chambers raised questions about the guidelines, and in response, the Public Health Order has been revised including revisions to temperature check requirements which are highlighted below:

  1. Critical Businesses,Critical Gov’t Functions, Non-Critical Office-Based Businesses, Personal Services, Limited Healthcare Settings & Non-Critical Retail shall follow protocols
  2. Employers and sole proprietors shall take all of the following measures within the workplace to minimize disease transmission:
  • deputize a workplace coordinator(s) charged with addressing COVID-19 issues;
  • maintain 6 foot separation between employees and discourage shared spaces;
  • clean and disinfect all high touch areas;
  • post signage for employees and customers on good hygiene;
  • ensure proper ventilation;
  • avoid gatherings (meetings, waiting rooms, etc) of more than 10 people;
  • implement symptom monitoring protocols, conduct daily temperature checks and monitor symptoms in employees at the worksite to the greatest extent possible, or if not practicable, through employee self-assessment at home prior to coming to the worksite. A sample form can be found here. If an employee reports any symptoms, refer symptomatic employees to the CDPHE Symptom Tracker and take all of the following steps:
    • send employee home immediately;
    • increase cleaning in your facility and require social distancing of staff at least 6 feet apart from one another; exclude employee until they are fever-free, without medication, for 72 hours and 7 days have passed since their first symptom; and
    • if multiple employees have these symptoms, contact your local health department; and
    • eliminate or regularly clean and disinfect any items in common spaces, such as break rooms, that are shared between individuals, such as condiments, coffee makers, vending machines.

4.Employers with over fifty (50) employees in any one location shall, in addition to the above requirements, implement the following protocols:

  • implement employee screening systems that follow the requirements of Section II.G.1.g above in one of the following ways:
  • Set up stations at the worksite for symptom screening and temperature checks; or
  • Create a business policy that requires at-home employee self-screening each work day and reporting of the results to the employer prior to entering the worksite;
    • close common areas to disallow gatherings of employees;
    • implement mandatory cleaning and disinfection protocols; and
    • require mandatory adherence to Social Distancing Requirements.

Please see the revised PHO  and guidance  and contact Loren Furman at [email protected] or at 303-866-9642 with any questions.

Federal Bill Would Allow Non-Profits & Local Chambers Access to PPP Loans

This week, H.R. 6697, the Local Chamber, Tourism, and 501(c)(6) Protection Act was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives and would allow 501(c)(6) non-profits, including chambers of commerce, the ability to participate in the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). These organizations were not included in the Phase 3 Cares Act legislation that expanded the PPP Program for small businesses.  The bill is a bi-partisan bill sponsored by Representatives Chris Pappas (D-NH-01), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-01), Gil Cisneros (D-CA-39), and Greg Steube (R-FL-17).

A coalition letter that was coordinated by the U.S. Chamber and signed by the Colorado Chamber of Commerce included 3,738 organizations across the nation asking members of Congress to support this legislation.  If your organization is a non-profit or local chamber and is in need of this loan, please contact the Colorado Congressional delegation to encourage their support.

Please contact Loren Furman at [email protected] or at 303-866-9642 with any questions.