DENVER — Gov. Polis will provide an update Tuesday on the state's response to COVID-19.
Polis had scaled back his COVID-19 briefings but has recently been hosting news conferences on Tuesdays and Thursdays due to an uptick in the number of cases across the state.
In recent weeks, he has issued an order requiring masks in indoor public places and moved last call for alcohol at bars to 10 p.m. That order was challenged by multiple businesses but later held up in court.
The Gov. is scheduled to speak at 3:15 p.m.
UPDATES:
Gov. Polis began the briefing by saying we are doing better as a state and are starting to see the impact of two things: wearing masks and having last call at 10 p.m.
He then spoke about high school sports. Just prior to this press conference, CHSAA announced what the high school sports landscape will look like for the coming year. Sports will be spit into four seasons and all contact sports will take place in the Spring.
Polis said he will attend the very first high school game of the shortened season in the state.
The Gov. then said there are two ways COVID-19 wins in Colorado:
1. We get it, it destroys our health, it overwhelms our hospitals.
2. It destroys our spirit.
"We cannot let this virus defeat us and destroy our health and our lives, and we certainly can’t let this virus destroy our spirit," Polis said.
Polis then cited Dr. Deborah Birx, saying, "Anyone contagious with the virus is a super spreader at a big event."He then mentioned the Weld County event that thousands of people attended in defiance of state orders.
The Gov. then discussed continuing wearing masks and social distancing in the months to come. He then spoke about bars closing and nightclubs.
Speaking to younger Coloradans, Polis said, "I know that what we're asking of you isn't easy, but it's important to put it in perspective that it's easier than what has been asked of Americans in their 20s and 30s in prior times."
He asked that people avoid large parties and just hang out with a few friends. He called this “critical" for the success of Colorado and for America.
Q&A came next.
Polis was asked about the coming months. "The way we’ve lived for the last few weeks, we need to be prepared to live for the next few months,” Polis said.
