Colorado Springs Mayor after move to Safer at Home Level 2: ‘It could have been worse’

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- While disappointed that state leaders moved El Paso County to Safer at Home Level Two, the mayor of Colorado Springs says things could be worse.

"Given the way things are trending, they could have gone to level three," says Mayor John Suthers a few hours after the announcement was made Friday.

He credits El Paso County health leaders for creating a mitigation plan that helped convince those at the state level to not have the county roll back to Safer at Home Level Three, which would create even more restrictions.

While Level Two will limit capacity for restaurants, gyms, group sports, indoor events and more, Suthers says he doesn't expect there will be a major financial hardship for those businesses.

"I think it will have some impact but I don't think it will be large," Suthers said.

However, bars will have to shutdown on November 4th when the rollback and restrictions begin. A manager with one of the bars on Tejon Street in downtown Colorado Springs says they have only been open for two weeks and this new shutdown is really going to impact their business.

Mayor Suthers once again reiterated the need for residents to take necessary COVID-19 safety precautions to help bring the county's numbers down. Hospitalizations in El Paso County are increasing at a dangerous rate, according to local officials.

"[On Friday] there are 79 COVID positive people in the hospital, four weeks ago there were 15," Suthers said.

If these numbers keep increasing, Suthers says it may lead to the county getting shutdown by the state like it did back in April.

"One thing we want to avoid at all costs is another Stay at Home Order," he said. "That's what caused us to have a 23 percent revenue reduction in April, 14 percent in March."