El Paso County Commissioners call for easing COVID-19 restrictions

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) -- El Paso County Commissioners voted in favor of a proclamation during Tuesday's meeting, urging Governor Jared Polis to further ease COVID-19 restrictions.

"The Board of County Commissioners proclaim that fully reopening schools, businesses, and lifting burdensome restrictions is in the best interest of all Coloradans," District 2 Commissioner Carrie Geitner announced.

El Paso County Commissioners want the Governor to move forward at this point in the pandemic, for the sake of local stores, restaurants and other businesses.

"Shutting down as we have and also still providing a high variety of different kinds of restrictions in businesses has been very harmful to our economy," District 3 Commissioner Stan VanderWerf said.

In the proclamation, Commissioners requested businesses and schools fully reopen, and all other restrictions be lifted immediately.

 "If you look at February and March data on deaths, it's really, really low. It's the lowest it's been since we've had the pandemic."

VanderWerf said it's one of the reasons why Commissioners are also asking the state to return decision-making authority to the local level.

"The state has now issued a new Dial 3.0, but I don't think it goes far enough."

Reduced restrictions under Colorado's new dial will remain in effect until at least mid-April. According to recent guidance from the state health department, it's also likely the last change to the system that Coloradans will see, followed by plans to provide more control over capacity restrictions to local health agencies.

But, VanderWerf said a broader reopening is needed now.

"Bipartisan action [is] taking place across the country. You can find states that are controlled by democrats, states controlled by republicans that are opening up in broad ways. I think it's time for Colorado to do the same."

The proclamation received an unanimous vote on Tuesday.

Read the full proclamation below: