Colorado Seeks Feedback On Proposed 'Dial 2.0:' What To Know

Colorado's state public health agency is proposing changes to the COVID-19 Dial framework in an effort to "better balance disease suppression with economic hardship," officials said.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has met with local public health agencies, county commissioners, mayors and city managers to discuss the changes, which include:

• An increase in the range of incidence metrics — a.k.a. more leniency — for all colors on the dial to better balance disease suppression with economic hardship, while preventing a breach in hospital capacity. The incidence rate tracks new cases per 100,000 people.
• Moving to a 7-day metric of incidence rate, percent positivity of testing, and hospitalizations instead of a 14-day metric to more quickly respond to local conditions
• Decreasing the metric requirement for testing positivity rates in the yellow and orange levels to continue to promote testing as an important disease containment strategy.
• Special consideration from state public health officials for counties with populations under 20,000 to determine the level on the dial, accounting for weekly variability in the percent positivity of tests and disease incidence rates.

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"The Dial has been a useful tool in helping us to manage our response to the pandemic, but it needs to be updated based on lessons learned over the past five months,” said John Douglas, executive director of Tri County Health Department.

“We appreciate the collaboration between CDPHE and local public health agencies in considering these updates together.”

Coloradans can review the draft and submit feedback with this form. The deadline for providing feedback is 5 p.m. Monday.

“Coloradans have made significant sacrifices to reduce disease transmission, so it is time to update the dial to reflect this reality, plus the increasing number of people who are immunized,” said Jill Hunsaker Ryan, executive director of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

“This updated proposal is based on Colorado's disease and vaccination rates, plus input from local public health agencies and local governments, and we are seeking the public's help to refine it further.”