Larimer, Broomfield counties to move to higher level of COVID restrictions Friday

BROOMFIELD — The city and county of Broomfield will join Boulder County in moving to the third level of the state’s “Safer At Home” dial on Friday after weeks of increasing COVID caseloads, while Larimer County will move up to the second level.

For Broomfield, the higher level will invalidate any occupancy variances for businesses and gatherings granted by the local health department and cut capacity at businesses and places of worship from 50% to 25% or a maximum of 50 people.

Larimer County’s restrictions will rise to similar levels that Boulder and Broomfield were running under, with the 50% capacity rule remaining in place for most businesses and places of worship. However, any variances granted by the county for indoor gatherings will be invalidated while variances for outside seating will remain.

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The county’s orders restricting personal gatherings to no more than 10 people from two households remains in place.

State health officials estimate that Broomfield County is registering approximately 418 new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people in the past two weeks, well above the third level’s threshold of 175 cases per 100,000 and the 350 cases per 100,000 figure that would trigger a fresh round of stay-at-home orders.

However, the area’s 7.1% two-week average rate of positive tests remains in the state’s second level of the Safer At Home system, where Broomfield has operated for weeks.

Larimer County has had 309 new cases in the past two weeks per 100,000 people and an average two-week positivity rate of 6.9%.

Broomfield joins Boulder County in the highest level of restrictions below a renewed round of stay-at-home orders.

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