Colorado restaurants can reopen dining rooms, and readers respond to the governor’s move

At the end of December 30, Governor Jared Polis announced on social media that on Monday, January 4, all state counties currently at the Red Level on the COVID board of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment will move to Orange level. He credited the improvement of COVID-19 statistics in the state for making the change possible.

As a result, many companies will see regulations weakened this week. Restaurants, for example, will be able to resume dining indoors – at a capacity of 25% or a maximum of fifty customers. But still, this is a big change from the closed dining rooms at Red Level, especially since it’s paired with the last call coming back at 10 p.m.

But in them Westword Facebook comments on our post about Polis’ move, some readers don’t raise a glass Says Jeffrey:

I see that we are now taking the “pretend it doesn’t exist” option.

Reply Michael:

Stay the hell home if you’re so scared. We adults, we go to fucking adult.

Add Sara:

Certainly, restaurants should be able to reopen. The only thing their closure does is push people into private gatherings and places like Walmart. Let them make a living.

Reply Emily:

Nobody drinks, eats, puts their forks in COVID holes, spends hours breathing the same air and makes new friends at Walmart …

Doug counters:

Let them all open up. If the owners want to impose limits, this is their prerogative. No more blocking. No more face diaper warrants. Ever!

Add Sarah:

We need to open up. I’ve already lost too much business.

Reply Nick:

I think the plan is to lose fewer people, not business.

And the conversation takes a turn, thanks to this fact from Bill:

Have you ever noticed how many butterflies cry about Polis and COVID-45? They are not restaurant customers. They are wrinkled. They are not restaurant owners themselves. I sell food delivery. Alcohol has such a large margin. The screaming cries and the owners of the sparks. IF they don’t like it, leave!

Reply Constance:

Obviously, you don’t know business owners or anything about business in general.

Ben concludes:

Bíll is someone who obviously never scored at the bar.

Polis’ announcement took many health officials and restaurant owners by surprise; as part of the recently introduced 5-star certification program, counties were striving to go on the dial. In the subway area, Arapahoe, Douglas and Broomfield counties had already been approved for the program (in fact, some restaurants in Douglas County have already reopened the restaurant’s dining rooms); Denver just unveiled its app at the end of the year.

According to a hasty clarification from the Colorado Restaurant Association that ended 2020, those 5-star certified restaurants will not be able to make a double move on the dial – from Orange to Yellow in Douglas County, for example.

But in these uncertain times, only one thing is certain: diners can raise a glass to the restaurant industry in this state and should – whether it’s cooking food or in a reopened dining room.

Check out our list of all the restaurants and bars open and closed in 2020 here.