Gov. Polis extends Colorado’s mask mandate another 30 days as COVID-19 cases rise

DENVER (KRDO) -- Gov. Jared Polis announced the statewide mask mandate has been extended for another 30 days, as the number of COVID-19 cases continues to rise in Colorado.

The Governor also offered hope a vaccine may be on the way. He cited Pfizer's late-stage testing, which showed a 90% effectiveness rate. Polis said Colorado could receive its first dosage of the vaccine by the end of 2020.

"We're hopeful there will be some dosage in 2020, likely in the low hundreds of thousands for Colorado. It could be 100,000 to 200,000 that will be used, according to the vaccination plan that we submitted," Polis said.

He emphasized early application of the vaccine would apply only to people who are considered high risk. The timetable for widespread distribution, likely would not take place until 2021.

Watch Gov. Polis' full announcement on the status of COVID-19 in the state below: