The gloves have been off for a long while. And now it looks as if the masks are finally coming off, too. We haven’t reached the end of our tragic COVID-19 story — in fact, cases are starting to tick up again with the arrival of a new sub-variant — but, minus the emergence of […]
mask mandate
Posted inHealth, News, Politics and Government, Transportation
Denver airport, RTD drops masks as judge voids federal COVID mandate
By Curt Anderson, The Associated Press ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A federal judge in Florida on Monday voided the national mask mandate covering airlines and other public transportation as exceeding the authority of U.S. health officials in their response to the coronavirus pandemic. The mandate, recently extended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and […]
Posted inColoradans, Education, Equity, News, Politics and Government
Political swings on Colorado school boards spark level of antagonism not seen since desegregation
Julie Hensley believes her SUV was targeted because of the cheery blue-and-yellow “Come Together” message spray-painted on her back window. The special education teacher at Legend High School in Parker was already at her desk at 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday when the hallways began to buzz with word that teachers’ cars were slapped with flyers: […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Nicolais: Masks and muscles must coexist at the gym
Walking into the Lakewood 24 Hour Fitness for a pre-Thanksgiving workout Wednesday night, I noticed staff at the front desk dutifully informing patrons they needed to wear a mask upon entering. They even passed out masks to those who did not have one readily available. Unfortunately, that is where it stopped. I spent the next […]
Posted inCOVID, News
Adams, Arapahoe and Jefferson counties will have indoor mask mandates starting Wednesday
Facing the possibility that the current COVID-19 surge could breach Colorado’s hospital capacity, the public health agency for Adams and Arapahoe counties Monday issued a new indoor mask mandate through at least the end of the year. Also Monday, Jefferson County Public Health’s board voted 4-1 to pass a new ordinance to require people ages […]
Posted inCOVID, Health, News
Pressure grows on Gov. Jared Polis for a mask mandate to slow rising coronavirus cases
As coronavirus infections and hospitalizations continue to climb in Colorado, directors of county public health agencies and other medical leaders have begun urgently calling on Gov. Jared Polis to issue a statewide mask mandate. Last week, the Colorado Association of Local Public Health Officials sent a letter to Polis asking for a new order requiring […]
Posted inCOVID, Education, Health, News
Douglas County health board, faced with lawsuit, is no longer allowing schools to opt out of mask mandates
The new Douglas County Board of Health on Friday amended its first public health order, which had allowed parents to opt their children out of COVID-19 masking mandates, so it would no longer apply to the Douglas County School District, which had sued over the order. The revised order is written so it still applies […]
Posted inEducation, Health, News
Douglas County School District sues its new county health department over masks
The Douglas County School District and families of students at high risk of becoming seriously ill with COVID-19 are suing the county’s new health department in federal court, alleging a public health order allowing people to opt out of masking rules in the county violates the civil rights of students with disabilities. The lawsuit asks […]
Posted inCOVID, Health, News
Colorado schools that require masks have lower coronavirus case rates, state says
Colorado’s school-aged children are experiencing the highest rates of coronavirus infection among any age group in the state right now. But state health officials Thursday presented new data showing that requiring kids to wear masks while in school is associated with lower rates of COVID-19. The data back up guidance from the Colorado Department of […]
Posted inEducation, Health, News
Tri-County Health mandates masks for people in schools, removes ability of counties to opt out
Tri-County Health Department on Monday repealed the ability of counties to opt out of its public health orders and issued an order requiring masks for all people 2 and older in schools and child care settings. The vote, which undoes decisions by Douglas and Adams counties to opt out of a requirement for masks in […]