DENVER (KDVR) — Gov. Jared Polis announced Monday afternoon that all on-site dining will be prohibited at restaurants and bars in Colorado. The restrictions are part of an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
Drive-thru, take-out and delivery services will still be permitted.
The order was initially set to remain in effect for 30 days. However, on Thursday, it was extended to April 30.
It went into effect 8 a.m. Tuesday.
The order follows similar ones already in place in Denver and Summit counties.
The governor also ordered gyms, theaters (movie and performance), breweries, coffeehouses and casinos closed.
Additionally, all Department of Motor Vehicles offices will be closed from March 18 through April 18.
“We understand the gravity of this public health order, and the disruption it will cause,” said Jill Hunsaker Ryan the executive director of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. “But we are weighing this disruption against the need to save lives. Based on the experience of other countries, the state of Washington, and modeling data, the sooner we begin social distancing measures on a large enough scale, the more quickly we can slow transmission of the virus, which translates into less people requiring hospitalization at the same time and more lives saved.”
Establishments can allow up to five people inside their business at one time to pick up food. However, they must be at least six feet away from one another.
READ: Order prohibiting on-site dining in all Colorado restaurants and bars
Polis added that the state will adopt Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines in real-time.