Four SLV counties move to Level Green

VALLEY — Four of the six San Luis Valley counties qualified for Level Green today under the state’s new COVID-19 Dial 3.0 guidelines. Conejos, Costilla, Rio Grande and Saguache counties all moved to Level Green as of 9 a.m. Wednesday, March 24. Alamosa and Mineral counties remain at Level Blue.

According to the San Luis Valley Public Health Partnership, some new changes in Level Green include:

  • No state capacity restrictions for restaurants, manufacturing, gyms, offices, or outdoor entertainment events in Level Green
  • Bars and indoor events and entertainment may open in Level Green with a capacity limit of 50% or 500 people, whichever is fewer

Some new changes for Level Blue: 

  • Restaurants may open to 100% capacity with 6 ft distancing in Level Blue.
  • Bars may open in Level Blue with a capacity limit of 25% or 75 people, whichever is fewer. 
  • Retail, offices, and non-critical manufacturing in Level Blue may now open to 75% capacity, up from 50%. 

Outdoor events will no longer have capacity restrictions in Blue or Green. There is no longer a state limit on personal gathering sizes.The CDC still strongly recommends avoiding larger gatherings and crowds to prevent the spread of COVID-19. A complete listing of capacity limits and restrictions for Dial 3.0 is available at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Wpq8MrsvtY0_jW07mWCLmVXtv4P_wFR2/view.

The statewide mask mandate remains in place for now.
In order to keep the ground we have gained, public health authorities remind everyone to also continue to practice social distancing, wash hands frequently, and stay home if you are sick. If you have symptoms of COVID-19, get tested.

The level of illness in our region has dropped, but the virus is still present and presents a potential risk, especially to those who have not yet been vaccinated.

“Grocery store workers, restaurant workers, and even those who work in convenience stores are now able to get a COVID-19 vaccine. Not everyone is aware of that,” said Carol Keith, Regional Environmental Health Program Manager. Vaccine eligibility moved into Phase 1B.4 last week. People age 50 and above are now eligible, as are many more essential and frontline workers.

A vaccination event will be held this Friday, March 26, at Sargent School. To register, go to https://forms.gle/vqkFpe4SLmVbTqa98 or call 719-852-3322. This event was organized specifically to reach agricultural workers, but all community members who are eligible through Phase 1B.4 are welcome to register as long as slots are available.

Nearly 21,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in the San Luis Valley to date. Most of the vaccine being administered in the San Luis Valley is manufactured by Moderna, which requires 2 doses for maximum effectiveness. To sign up to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, contact a local public health agency, hospital, clinic, or pharmacy. Online signup links for these providers can be found at www.slvphp.com, along with more detailed information about who is eligible for the vaccine.


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