Boulder Moves Into Level Three: Safer at Home
CO Department of Public Health
On Nov. 6, Boulder County will move into Level 3: Safer at Home.
On Friday, Nov. 6, Boulder County will move into Level Orange: Safer at Home. The transition comes after health officials saw a large surge in COVID-19 cases in October.
Safer At Home, the third of the four-level system used by Colorado state health officials, is only one level from a stay at home mandate. The new stage means stricter restrictions for business and offices and limited personal gatherings. Gyms and restaurants will be forced to move to 25 percent capacity and group sports will be limited to a capacity of 10 people. Boulder was formerly in Stage 2—Level Yellow: Safer At Home, which had fewer restrictions and higher capacities allowed for businesses. The level change is a bleak indication that Boulder is moving in the wrong direction in efforts to control the virus.
The upward-trending cases in Boulder is alarming. On Thursday, Boulder County health officials recorded 292 new cases and two deaths, a record amount of positive cases reported in a single day for Boulder County. Unfortunately, cases in Boulder are rising at the same concerning rate as the rest of the country. On Thursday, the U.S. broke a record with more than 121,000 positive cases reported in a single day.
The rise in cases is a bad sign for the schools hoping to continue in-person learning. CU Boulder announced plans to move to 100 percent remote learning starting Nov. 16. Boulder Valley School District will continue hybrid learning, though in an email addressing the new county guidelines Superintendent Rob Anderson acknowledged the reality that schools may not be able to remain open if the virus continues to surge. “We are doing everything possible to keep schools open…but, admittedly, we are struggling to keep up.” The growing infections have put immense stress on the district as four BVSD schools—including Boulder High—have already been forced to switch to remote learning.
However, with proper precautions taken into effect by members of the community, it is possible to slow the spread of COVID-19. By wearing a mask and only partaking in socially distanced events we can mitigate the spread of COVID-19, protect our neighbors and begin to make it safe to reopen the community again.
Gracie is a junior at Boulder High School. She has always enjoyed writing and is excited to write for The Owl this year. By taking part in Newspaper, Gracie hopes to gain a better understanding of journalism as well as strengthen her writing skills. When she’s not at school, Gracie is often rowing, spending time with her dog Lucy, or cooking. She also is part of the swim team and FBLA at Boulder High. She loves reading the news and has a passion for politics, hoping to study political science after high school. While she cares about many things, Gracie is most enthusiastic about her love for green grapes.