Today, the Pitkin County Board of Health voted to align with state and CDC mask guidance. Effective Friday, June 4th at 12:01 a.m., Pitkin County will retire it’s local mask mandate and follow state and federal guidelines.
Aligning with the state means that fully vaccinated people may go without masks in indoor public spaces unless the setting requires otherwise. Unvaccinated people are encouraged to continue to wear masks in all indoor public spaces.
Face coverings are still required in certain settings for individuals age twelve and older, which include:
- Unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated students, staff, and visitors to preschool through grade 12 schools (including extracurricular activities) and child care centers and services, including camps, except while participating in outdoor activities;
- Unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated staff of Colorado Department of Motor Vehicle offices;
- Unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated residents, staff, and visitors to Prisons;
- Unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated residents, staff, and visitors to Jails; and
- Unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated patients, visitors, and personnel in emergency medical and other healthcare settings (including hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, urgen care centers, clinics, doctors’ offices, and non-urgent care medical structures) (CDPHE, 3rd Amended PHO 20-38).
Additionally, individuals 2 years old and older must still wear masks on public transportation, such as on buses, taxis, planes, and other forms of public transportation traveling into, within, and/or out of the country, regardless of vaccination status.
While COVID-19 restrictions are easing and Pitkin County is continuing to make significant progress against COVID-19, please be considerate and respectful of one another. We ask for our entire community to practice personal responsibility and take the actions to help stop the spread of COVID-19 by following COVID-19 Best Practices: Get Vaccinated, Socialize Smart, Stay Home if Sick, and Keep Washing Your Hands.
Businesses and other entities may still required COVID-19 mitigation steps, such as mask wearing among employees and patrons. Please wear a mask when asked out of respect. Businesses should consider reviewing the new COVID-19 Business Playbook (which will be updated soon to reflect this new mask guidance) as they start modifying and tailoring their safety plan to ensure a successful future for both their business and for the health of those around them.
As a reminder, Pitkin County Public Health and the State of Colorado will monitor hospital metrics to determine if and when a snapback to the COVID-19 dial may be implemented. Pitkin County Public Health will also continue to monitor and investigate COVID-19 cases, which includes isolation of any individual with a positive COVID-19 case, case investigation, contact tracing, and quarantine of close contacts who are not fully vaccinated. These strategies will help to slow disease transmission and reduce the risk of any unanticipated surges.
