SAGUACHE COUNTY — Last week Saguache County commissioners signed and submitted a petition to the state requesting a variance to the Safer at Home ordinance in order to help reopen certain types of businesses in the county on a limited basis.

The following is taken directly from the County’s variance request:

Suppression plan and best practices for Saguache County residents:

This Plan implements measures to allow limited re-opening of certain industries and businesses in Saguache County while maintaining sustainable levels of social distancing. This Plan continues social distancing requirements for all residents and Stay-at-Home requirements for vulnerable populations pursuant [to the governor’s] Executive Order. This plan is effective within the entirety of Saguache County, including all cities and towns within the County.

Each community within Saguache County will be assessed as requests are submitted for the opening of the types within the attachments — restaurants, places of worship, recreation, motels and Bed and Breakfasts/Airbnb ‘s.

Maintain physical distancing (6 feet)

• Adults 65 years and older and high-risk populations shall limit public interactions and stay at home as much as possible

• Use cloth face coverings for interactions where physical distancing is not possible or when entering public places

• Stay home and not go to work or out in the public if experiencing symptoms

• Wash hands frequently with soap and water. If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol

• Clean and disinfect all non-porous, high-touch surfaces frequently

• All persons who traveled for more than 24 hours away from Saguache County are asked to isolate and quarantine themselves from all other persons, without exception, for a period of at least seven (7) days.

Guidance and Requirements for Saguache County Businesses:
Businesses must perform frequent environmental cleaning and disinfection (concentrate on high-touch surfaces like tables, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets, sinks, etc.)

Restaurants, recreation facilities, places of worship, motels, bed and breakfasts, Airbnb’s will:

• Arrange spaces so that everyone can maintain at least six (6) feet distance from each other
• Make reasonable work accommodations for vulnerable populations who are still under the Stay at Home advisement
• Monitor employees and volunteers for one of the following symptoms: Cough, shortness of breath/difficulty breathing or a least two of the following symptoms: Fever, chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, or new loss of taste or smell. Symptomatic employees and volunteers must be excluded from the workplace

Employees and contracted workers whose duties include close contact with members of the public shall wear a nonmedical cloth face covering over the nose and mouth at all times when dealing with the public.

All other employees are encouraged to wear a nonmedical cloth face covering over the nose and mouth while working, except where doing so would compromise the individual's health. In some instances, cloth face masks are required for the public to enter a facility. All businesses have the option to require anyone entering their- facility to wear a cloth face covering if they so choose.

The following business shall remain closed:

Bars, taverns, brewpubs, breweries, microbreweries, distillery pubs, wineries, wine tasting rooms (except for retail), cigar bars, special permit licensees, clubs, and other places offering alcoholic beverages for on-site consumption except restaurants. Restaurants are allowed to partially open as outlined in the attached guidelines.

Places of worship are allowed to increase the number of people in their facilities, if they so choose, as outlined in the attached documents.

Group Gatherings

• Group gatherings shall contain no more than ten (10) people.
• Participants shall maintain at least six (6) feet distance from each other.
• No festivals or other organized large gatherings will be allowed until at least July 1, at

which time the situation will be evaluated to determine when and if festivals and other

types of large gatherings can resume.

• Large venues shall remain closed
• Private events that involve more than 10 (10) people shall not be allowed at this time

Duration

This Plan will be is effective upon approval of the Colorado Department of Public Health. This plan will be amended to include details for phase 2 and phase 3 when appropriate. This plan shall expire six (6) weeks from approval by the State, unless extended further.

Each of the Safer at Home phases assumes a two-week period. The decision to move into the next phase, stay at the current phase, or go back to Stay at Home will be made by Saguache County Public Health based on the rate of positive COVTD-19 cases and hospitalizations in Saguache County.