Updated 2:51 p.m.
Gov. Jared Polis today urged more Coloradans to wear face masks to slow the uptick in coronavirus cases. But he said the state wouldn’t be able to enforce a statewide mask ordinance.
"Don’t just wear one because you might get a $200 ticket if you don’t," Polis said in his July 9 coronavirus update. "Wear one because you might save your life. You also might save your job. You might save your stock portfolio. You might keep your local businesses open."
During his news conference, he estimated about 70 percent of people wear masks now; he’d like to boost that to 85 percent. Polis asked young people to refrain from large parties this summer. He said Coloradans must stay vigilant, noting that more than 50,000 people from COVID hotspots of Texas and Arizona visited the state over July 4.
Polis last week ordered bars and nightclubs to once again close to in-person service as Colorado has seen increasing COVID-19 cases in recent weeks. Fifteen new outbreaks were reported by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment on Wednesday, including new outbreaks at the JBS meatpacking plant and a nursing home in Greeley.
Note: The governor's briefings don't always start right on time.
