‘Nothing is going to change’: El Paso County on public health order enforcement
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- A team of about 15 employees at the health department's primary job amid the COVID-19 pandemic is to educate and enforce state health orders.
"Our goal is to partner with everybody and educate and work with folks to understand how to best how to meet public health concerns in the community," Keith Siemsen said.
It's a challenging job for health officials who are trying to keep up with rules and orders that continue to change. In El Paso County, the health department has taken an education-based approach, hoping business owners and organizations will buy into the COVID-19 requirements.
"Our goal is not to tell folks what they can't do, but say here's what you can do," explained Siemsen.
If a business or facility did not respond to lower-level health officials' requests, it would elevate to an inquiry by higher management in the El Paso County Health Department to provide more detail on the order requirements.
If the health department is unsuccessful in gaining voluntary compliance, it would then result in a formal written warning.
"We are viewing what you are doing as not in compliance with the public health order and this is just a written document that says we are telling you that we see what you're doing as not in compliance. It's not anything more than that," Siemsen.
The next move if compliance isn't achieved would be a cease and desist order, a move the El Paso County Health Department says it hasn't needed to use yet.
"Our goal is not to get there," Siemsen said.
At least 2,600 public health order violation complaints have been filed in El Paso County since March 16. Of those 2,600 complaints, 280 facilities were individually contacted by county health officials. The health department says of those 280 facilities, 103 appeared to not be following the public health orders handed down by Gov. Jared Polis.
Twenty facilities or businesses of the 103 that did not initially comply with the health order required upper management health officials to follow up, which resulted in 11 facilities voluntarily complying.
Only five written warnings have been issued in El Paso County related to the COVID-19 public health orders since March 16.
Health officials encourage anyone who doesn't feel comfortable with a situation to remove themselves from a situation, whether it's a retail store or restaurant. Siemsen encourages Coloradans to not jump to conclusions about health order violations, though.
"Don't assume that what is happening is unsafe or unhealthy to you because there are requirements based on each individual operation that may make sense or may not make sense," Siemsen explained.
The health department encourages anyone who is concerned about how a business or facility is operating to call them to file a complaint.
As Colorado Springs begins its new phase of social distancing, the El Paso County health department intends to continue its enforcement policies during the safer-at-home order.
"Nothing is going to change. Our basic process is not going to change," Siemsen said.
