Tri-County Health Department's 90-Day Face Mask Order Now In Effect
ARAPAHOE COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4)- The face covering order for the Tri-County Health Department went into effect on Friday. The order to prevent the spread of coronavirus includes Arapahoe, Adams and Douglas counties.
The order, announced on July 8, was amended to align with Gov. Jared Polis' statewide order that went into effect July 16. The Tri-County Health Department (TCHD) order, like the statewide order, requires people to wear a face mask in public spaces and, in addition, requires use of face coverings in outdoor spaces when social distancing cannot be maintained.
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According to TCHD, Apart from requiring face-coverings in outdoor locations when 6 feet of social distancing cannot be maintained, the key difference between TCHD's order and the statewide order is a longer duration of up to 90 days rather than 30 days. To increase consistency and avoid confusion, TCHD has amended our order to align with the Governor's Executive Order on all other aspects. This includes exempting children 10 and younger from wearing a mask.
The face mask order prompted Douglas County to begin the process to leave Tri-County Health Department and create its own health department.
Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman discussed the mask mandate during virtual town hall on Friday and said that while those in violation could be issued a summons, he hopes that educating businesses and patrons about the importance of wearing masks will avoid any confrontations.