Colorado City and County officials will have more control over COVID-19 restrictions starting in mid-April

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Starting April 16th, Colorado Springs City and County officials will be able to decide how to handle COVID-19 restrictions.

Governor Jared Polis said this week, the state will loosen its oversight for Cities and Counties. Meaning local elected officials will be able to decide capacity levels for businesses and also if people still need to wear masks when entering stores.

Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers told KRDO on Tuesday he had a conversation with Governor Polis about how the state will give power back to local leaders. Suthers says on April 16, the current COVID-19 dial will not be mandated anymore, so any restrictions would have to come from elected leaders. Suthers says he has no intention of placing a City-wide ordinance that would require people to wear masks or restrict business capacity.

“I’ve always been disinclined to impose any local regulation over and above the state regulations and I continue to be of that mind," said Suthers.

The Board of El Paso County Commissioners also say they will not implement a mask mandate telling us in a statement, "The Board of County Commissioners will NOT request the local public health agency to impose further restrictions, including mask mandates. We encourage the Governor to consider near-term and extensive return to local control." 

While restrictions will be lifted, private businesses will still be able to implement their own restrictions.

However, Mayor Suthers says the state will have some control in regards to restrictions. Specifically large group gathering of 500 people or more. “So if the Broadmoor wanted to have a crowd of a thousand they could go to [the] health department and get authorization for that,” Suthers says.