DENVER — Gov. Jared Polis recently announced that the state will allocate $6 million to the Energize Gap Fund.
The second round of applications has opened and it will support even more Colorado businesses. The application deadline is Monday, Oct. 26.
“The fund is a bold, ambitious proposal that truly represents a holistic effort by both Democrats and Republicans in the state legislature and beyond coming together and putting differences aside to provide much-needed relief to small businesses and nonprofits across the state that are reeling from the pandemic,” Polis said.
The fund will provide more than $31 million in loans and grants. They will be specifically targeted towards businesses and nonprofits that have been hardest hit by the statewide shutdown and that have limited access or no access altogether to other means of financing through federal, state or local programs.
The Gap Fund is designed to meet this pressing need. It provides up to $15,000 in grant funds and up to $20,000 in low-interest loans to entities with fewer than 25 full-time employees.
In the first round 6,000 applications requesting $79 million in grants and $56 million in loans were submitted.
More than 50 percent of applicants were from women-owned entities, more than a quarter were rural entities, 12 percent were from Latino-owned enterprises, and 10 percent were from black-owned enterprises.
To apply for Energize Colorado visit https://energizecolorado.com/
DENVER – Gov. Polis today provided an update on Colorado’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Colorado is in a better place than some of our neighboring states but we can’t let up when it comes to social distancing, mask-wearing, and washing our hands to slow the spread of the virus,” said Governor Jared Polis. “It’s up to each and every one of us to make sure we are taking the steps to protect ourselves, our loved ones and our community during this pandemic. While it is welcomed news that cases are not increasing, we need to have the resolve to keep it up to have them start decreasing.”
As a result of the mask-wearing order and the decision to close bars, Colorado is seeing COVID-19 cases plateau, but the Governor cautioned Coloradans that the state is in a precarious position and everyone must remain vigilant and continue following social distancing requirements, wearing masks, and washing hands.
Last week, the Attorney General’s office issued a cease-and-desist letter to Live Entertainment, the company responsible for these large-scale events in Weld County. The Attorney General’s office has proactively sent cease and desist orders to the organizers and promoters, Adixion Music, as well as the venue, Imperial Horse Racing Facility in Pierce, to stop these illegal events. The Governor discouraged Coloradans from purchasing tickets or attending these types of events because it is better for the community and noted that ticket holders may end up being scammed out of their money when these events are shut down.
The Governor announced that starting Thursday, August 6, the Colorado COVID Relief Fund will begin accepting applications for the sixth round of funding. Organizations must apply by Aug. 20 at 7:00 p.m. Eligible community-based organizations across Colorado may apply for a general operating grant of up to $25,000. New to this deadline, the Fund will also accept applications from collaborative efforts that include three or more organizations to encourage community and regional coordination. All information will be updated on www.helpcoloradonow.org on Wednesday, August 5, and Coloradans can also email . To date, the fund has raised more than $22 million and distributed $16.4 million to more than 750 organizations serving Coloradans in all 64 counties.
Governor Polis was excited to announce that after speaking with Vice President Pence over the weekend, the National Guard’s deployment has been extended until the end of the year. The Governor thanked the National Guard men and women for all their hard work to help Colorado respond to the coronavirus pandemic. Last week, the Colorado National Guard reached a testing milestone in support of the State’s ongoing COVID-19 testing across Colorado, testing 20,000 Coloradans at 122 testing sites in 28 counties and 34 cities.
Governor Polis also extended an Executive Order today declaring a state of disaster emergency and providing additional funds for the pandemic response.
Driver license online renewal available to some vulnerable populations
On Tuesday, March 10, 2020, Gov. Jared Polis announced an emergency order to help Coloradans reduce the potential spread of COVID-19. Starting on March 11, 2020, the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) will allow residents 65 years old and older to renew their driver license credential online. Under normal circumstances, drivers 65 and older are required to visit an office to renew their credential.
The programming will remain in place until such time as the emergency order is lifted. There are a small number of customers who may have additional restrictions because they have renewed online twice before. We will work with these customers on an individual basis to renew their credential without visiting an office.
In implementing this change, the Department of Revenue (DOR) is proactively working to protect Coloradans and do its part to help prevent the spread of the virus. “We are working with our customers and employees to address concerns about the virus,” said Lu Cordova, Executive Director, DOR. Mike Dixon, Senior Director, DMV., added, “We also implemented a more thorough process for cleaning our facilities and equipment to further decrease any potential exposure to the virus.”
All Coloradans are encouraged to take advantage of the DMV’s 35 online services before visiting a DMV office. Go to mydmv.colorado.gov where you will find, in addition to driver license renewals, many of the most popular services, such as:
Request a driver record
Pay a citation
Pay a reinstatement fee
Upload reinstatement documents
Schedule an appointment
Change license or vehicle address
Update emergency contacts
Check eligibility to renew by mail
Reschedule a hearing
Request title status
Request duplicate title
Apply for emissions waiver
First-time registration
Renew registration
First-time disability placards
Manage placards
Replace tabs
Registration fee estimator
In keeping with recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), people in high-risk populations, including older adults and people with serious chronic medical conditions, can help mitigate the risk of transmission by taking everyday precautions:
Avoid close contact with people who are sick
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing, or having been in a public place.
If soap and water are not available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
To the extent possible, avoid touching high-touch surfaces in public places – elevator buttons, door handles, handrails, handshaking with people, etc. Use a tissue to cover your hand or finger if you must touch something.
Avoid touching your face, nose, eyes, etc.
Clean and disinfect your home to remove germs: practice routine cleaning of frequently touched surfaces (for example: tables, doorknobs, light switches, handles, desks, toilets, faucets, sinks & cell phones)
Avoid crowds, especially in poorly ventilated spaces. Your risk of exposure to respiratory viruses like COVID-19 may increase in crowded, closed-in settings with little air circulation if there are people in the crowd who are sick.
DENVER (AP) — Colorado is setting up a testing network to identify coronavirus cases, officials said March 3.
Samples from patients at 12 hospitals around the state that were negative for the flu will be tested for coronavirus to help officials determine if there is possible transmission of the new virus that causes the COVID-19 disease.
The number of tests to be conducted is still being evaluated, Rachel Herlihy, Colorado’s communicable disease epidemiologist, told reporters.
Colorado was relying on the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention to conduct tests, but the state health department announced March 2 that the state now has the ability to test up to 160 samples a day at its laboratory. Results are expected within 24 hours.
Colorado is also testing specimens from patients referred by doctors and county health officials who have symptoms and have either been in contact with someone else confirmed to have the virus or have traveled to parts of the world where infection rates are high or community spread is happening. Colorado’s testing criteria is more lenient than the CDC’s because it allows people who have traveled to virus affected areas but who have not been hospitalized to still be tested, Herlihy said.
Ten state agencies are in contact with Colorado’s incident command center set up to deal with any impact from the virus outbreak, said Gov. Jared Polis.
State officials have about 650,000 face masks that will be given to caregivers and others deemed at risk of being infected with the virus, Polis said.
DENVER– Gov. Jared Polis joined Michelle Barnes, executive director at the Department of Human Services, to launch the new SEE ME campaign, to address the stigma associated with getting mental health or substance use disorder support. The campaign is designed to complement the work of the Colorado Behavioral Health Task Force (BHTF) and provide an opportunity for all Coloradans to take action in support of behavioral health system reform.
“This campaign is about ending the stigma for the one million Coloradans living with a behavioral health condition or substance abuse disorder,” said Governor Jared Polis. “This just one step toward reforming our behavioral health system, but a critical one. We want to ensure that Colorado is a state where anyone who needs services can get them without fear of judgement.”
“We have an unprecedented opportunity to positively influence the future of the behavioral health system in Colorado,” shared CDHS Executive Director, Michelle Barnes. “Many Coloradans are touched by mental health conditions or addiction disorders either personally or by someone they know. But, they are not reaching out for help because of the stigma associated with mental health conditions and substance use. The SEE ME campaign gives a voice and face to those impacted and takes us one step closer to reducing stigma and shame.”
SEE ME Colorado will move Coloradans from awareness to action by engaging them through the following campaign components:
The 14-Day Challenge, which includes prompts ranging from engaging in the conversation about changing the behavioral health system, to new ways to pay it forward and see more than a diagnosis.
The SEE ME pledge, which Coloradans can sign to acknowledge that they will ask for help and help those around them when needed.
The virtual story wall, where Coloradans can submit their experiences with mental health conditions, addiction disorders and their experiences with Colorado’s behavioral health system.
Gov. Polis was also joined by Lt. Gov. Dianne Primavera, Rick Garcia, Executive Director at the Department of Local Affairs, Stan Hilkey, Executive Director at the Department of Public Safety, and Dean Williams, Executive Director at the Department of Corrections.
Current State of Colorado’s Behavioral Health
Colorado dedicates over one billion dollars annually to its behavioral health system yet it has among the highest suicide rates in the country. Many national rankings place Colorado in the bottom quarter of states when evaluating the quality of behavioral health and access to care. According to Governor Jared Polis, “Providing upstream care and services through community behavioral health promotes the health, well-being, and civil rights of our citizens and also ensures we are using state resources effectively.”
The Colorado BHTF was formed in the spring of 2019 at the request of Governor Polis. The task force is intended to shape the future of behavioral health services in Colorado. BHTF has been charged with creating a statewide blueprint to ensure that all Coloradans have access to timely, high-quality and affordable behavioral health services within their communities.
If you have questions, contact Madlynn Ruble, Deputy Director of Communications, by email at ; or by phone at 303-866-3411 (office).
To learn more about the campaign or to take the challenge, visit the website.
