In an announcement October 20th, the mask order has been extended in three Colorado counties.

The following is a press release from Tri-County Health Department:

Tri-County Health Department (TCHD) will be extending the local public health order requiring face masks in indoor public spaces and in outdoor spaces whenever 6-foot distancing is not maintained. TCHD is extending this order for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic, or until amended or rescinded. No other changes were made to the order. The current order will expire on October 22, 2020 at 11:59 p.m.

“This approach is consistent with the one taken by many counties and municipalities in the Denver Metro area. As we enter our “third wave,” we believe this is the best course of action since masks remain one of our most important tools in the fight against the spread of COVID-19, and will likely be needed until effective vaccines are widely available and utilized,” said John M. Douglas, Jr., MD, Executive Director ofTri-County Health Department.

If a municipality or county opted-out in July, they remain opted-out in the extended order and will follow Governor Polis’ statewide mask order. Any municipality or county that opted-out of TCHD’s order can always opt back in as a means to help contain the spread of the virus.

TCHD will continue to closely monitor the science and data pertaining to mask wearing and its impact on the pandemic and will make adjustments to this order as needed. For more information visit www.tchd.org/837/Face-Coverings.