PUEBLO — Mayor Nick Gradisar and Pueblo County health leaders made it clear at a meeting Monday they are not ruling out taking more restrictions to slow the spread of COVID-19.
It comes after the state has experienced its biggest spike in cases since the spring.
“Like the rest of the state, we’re obviously experiencing a large spike in cases here,” Gradisar said.
The line to get tested at the state’s testing site at state fairgrounds Monday spilled out of the fairgrounds and onto nearby Mesa Avenue, spanning several blocks.
“People are feeling sicker, there’s more exposure, there’s increased numbers in the community,” Pueblo County Public Health Director Randy Evetts said.
The numbers just keep rising.
“As of last Friday, November the 6th, we’ve had 556 cases in November,” Gradisar said.
Out of Pueblo County’s over 3,000 total cases so far, some quick math will tell you, this month has contributed more than its share.
“Our numbers are continuing to go up, and they’re going up at a pretty fast rate,” Evetts said.
Pueblo County currently sits on level three out of five on the state’s COVID-19 dial, but don’t let that fool you.
“Our Pueblo numbers right now on the COVID dial say we should be staying at home,” Mayor Gradisar said.
This is not just a Pueblo problem, it’s a Colorado problem.
“I guess I could imagine a situation where the virus is so out of control, that we’ve got to impose some drastic restrictions that individual counties wouldn’t be able to do one their own,” Gradisar said.
On Monday though, the only new statewide restrictions from Gov. Jared Polis came in the form of an extension of the state’s mask order.
Meanwhile, people back in Pueblo still wait in line to get tested.
“We could always use more testing, but the reality is, across the state, is that we have the resources that we have,” Evetts said.
The City of Pueblo currently sits under a 10 p.m. curfew implemented to deter people from gathering in large groups after dark.
Gradisar said it’s still too early to see how the curfew has really affected the numbers, but he said as long as numbers keep rising like they are, the curfew will likely be extended.
