John Scarffe, Gilpin County. The Gilpin County Board of County Commissioners approved an amendment moving to the orange level in response to an increase in Covid-19 cases during a virtual special meeting on November 20, 2020. Gilpin County has been notified by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) that effective at 5 p.m. on November 23, 2020, Gilpin County will move to Level Orange.

For detailed information about the different levels, please visit https://covid19.colorado.gov/covid-19-dial.

Public Health Coordinator Bonnie Albrecht said that as of November 20, 2020, Gilpin County has 73 confirmed Covid-19 cases, and no hospitalizations with no Covid-related deaths. “As cases increase in Gilpin County, please remember to be diligent about washing your hands, cleaning high-touch objects often and please wear a mask when you go into public.”

Every Tuesday, beginning at 10 a.m., Gilpin County Public Health, Gilpin Ambulance Authority and the Office of Emergency Management (OEM) will offer free drive-up Covid testing at 101 Norton Dr. Black Hawk, near the Community Center. This is a nasal swab test and will only indicate positive cases of Covid. It is not an antibody test.

Albrecht said the County had 10 new cases on November 19. Moving to orange will mean 25 percent capacity at restaurants and other public areas, and they are suggesting limiting contacts to one household. 

Masks will be required for everyone in the county. For casinos, table games are closed and only slots are available. Orange level requires staying at home when sick, only contact within one household and only necessary travel. Casinos will be open, but food and alcohol service will be closed from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.

Commissioner Linda Isenhart said she heard casino busses are not compliant, and Albrecht said she would complete a compliance order for busses and will work on the state level with CDPHE. Commissioner Ron Engels said the amendment combines a couple of things he hadn’t expected including restaurants being closed at 10 p.m.

 For recreation indoors, 25 people can be in a room and outdoors only 10 people can be in a group. 

Albrecht said they will be talking about this again next week and hoping the numbers will slow down. The Board approved a motion to approve the amendment but changing to restaurants not being closed.

The next meeting of the Gilpin County Board of Commissioners will be on December 8, 2020.