DENVER (KDVR) — Dr. Jonathan Samet, a man described by Gov. Jared Polis as “Colorado’s Dr. Fauci” says people will need to follow the new “Safer at Home” guidelines, which go into effect next week.

The internationally renowned Denver physician is helping the state determine the impact of COVID-19.

Until the governor’s press conference on Monday, Samet had been working quietly behind the scenes.

Samet is an epidemiologist and dean at the Colorado School of Public Health at the Anschutz Medical Campus. 

He had this warning for anyone wanting to relax social distancing measures too soon:

“If we had no restrictions at all — let’s imagine we were completely mixing freely out there infecting one another — we would have a huge spike (of COVID-19). The cost of that would be devastation,” said Samet.

He worked with the State’s epidemiologist to develop the upcoming “Safer at Home” policy.

The team developed its model with Colorado data estimating as many as 75,000 people in the state are COVID-19-positive, but the vast majority have not been tested.

Samet says scientists will watch traffic and cellphone movement to help determine if people are social distancing. 

The goal is to slow the spread so that hospital intensive care units don’t become overwhelmed.

Masks and staying 6 feet apart must become a way of life for now, Samet said.

He says businesses must devise ways to safely serve customers.

Samet says it will take several weeks to know if the “Safer at Home” measures are working.

He wants to see a sustained downward trend of all things COVID-19 before relaxing measures further.