Gov. Polis renews mask mandate for 30 more days

DENVER — Governor Jared Polis updated an executive order February 4 that requires Coloradans to “wear a medical or non-medical face covering due to the presence of COVID-19.”

The statewide mask mandate has been in effect since July 16 of last year.

“We have learned that widespread mask use is a low cost and highly effective way to reduce the spread of COVID-19 infections by as much as 65%,” the executive order reads. “Broad adoption of mask wearing in Colorado may have significant economic benefits by allowing the State to prevent re-closures of businesses and schools and, ultimately, return to our normal lives more quickly.”

Unless renewed again, the mask mandate will expire 30 days from February 4, which will take us right to the one-year mark of the first COVID-19 case in Colorado, which was confirmed March 5, 2020.

Since then, approximately 400,000 Coloradans have been infected with COVID-19 and more than 5,000 people in the state have died from the virus.

Get the latest data on COVID-19 in Colorado here.

The availability of multiple vaccines has provided hope for an expedited end to the pandemic. The latest data from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) show that roughly 150,000 Coloradans have received both doses of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines.

A recent analysis from NPR found that Colorado is performing above average in vaccinating its residents compared to other states.