DENVER – Governor Jared Polis today provided an update on Colorado’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and reminded Coloradans to remain vigilant over Labor Day weekend.

The Governor announced that earlier this week, Colorado hit its lowest positivity rate yet, close to two percent. The positivity rate is the rate of positive results out of the total number of COVID-19 tests conducted. In March, the state was seeing positivity rates between 15-20%. Currently, some of Colorado’s neighboring states are still seeing rates that high: Kansas is at 16%, Nevada is at 15.3% and Iowa is at 18.5%. The Governor stressed the importance of Coloradans continuing to wear masks, follow social distancing protocols, and avoid large gatherings as the long Labor Day weekend approaches to maintain the state’s positive trend. 

“Coloradans have met the challenges of this pandemic head on, and our numbers may be declining, but we are not out of the woods,” said Governor Jared Polis. “Cases spiked after the 4th of July weekend and we can’t let that happen again after Labor Day weekend. Our success thus far is due to each individual doing their part and we can’t let up now. We need everyone, including all of our students who are back on campus, to take this seriously and act responsibly by avoiding large groups and parties and wearing a mask around others. Now is not the time to party. Be smart and be safe this weekend if you are enjoying our great outdoors. Colorado has fared better than many of our neighboring states during this pandemic, but we’re only as good as our collective actions to slow the spread of this virus.”

Gov. Polis was joined by CU President Mark Kennedy, David Holguin, a CU Denver student, and Dajah Brooks, a student at the University of Denver to emphasize the need for students returning to colleges and universities to continue following safety protocols to protect themselves and their peers. David is a Student Advisor with the Colorado Commission on Higher Education and Latinx advancement leadership program. Dajah is the Undergraduate Student Body Vice President at the University of Denver, member of Delta Zeta sorority and the African Students United at DU. The Governor addressed recent parties at fraternities at CU Boulder, and applauded the efforts by Boulder’s Interfraternity Council on the Hill to punish these bad actors with fines.

Gov. Polis was also joined by Colorado Parks and Wildlife Park Ranger Michelle Seubert to remind Coloradans to recreate responsibly. The outdoors have played a critical role in giving Coloradans a safe outlet to exercise and experience nature during this pandemic. As Labor Day weekend approaches, it’s critical to remember the 7 key principles for responsible recreation: 

• Have a plan before you go
• Stay to the trails
• Trash your trash
• Leave what you find
• Be careful with fire and abide by local fire restrictions 
• Respect wildlife
• Be kind and inclusive to others who are also enjoying the great outdoors

View the news conference on the Governor’s Facebook page. 

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