Gov. Polis signs executive orders, aiming to ease hospital strain

DENVER, Colo. (KRDO) -- Gov. Jared Polis signed two executive orders Sunday in response to growing hospitalizations across Colorado.

The first allows the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to order hospitals and freestanding emergency departments transfer or cease the admission of COVID-19 patients.

According to Polis, that would allow patients to be treated anywhere, regardless of specific health network limitations.

In the new executive order Polis said it's "particularly urgent at this moment in the pandemic because statewide hospital capacity is less than 10%."

The second order clarifies that crisis standards of care can be activated to help address staffing shortages in hospitals.

The new orders follows a COVID-19 update from the governor Thursday, where he cautioned these orders may come given COVID-19 numbers in the state.