Denver Moves From Level Red To Orange: What Will Change

DENVER, CO — Dozens of Colorado counties, including Denver, shifted Monday from 'Level Red' on the state's COVID-19 dial to 'Level Orange' — a move that will allow restaurants to reopen indoor dining in a limited capacity.

In an announcement Wednesday on social media, Gov. Jared Polis asked the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to make the shift after a sustained decline in coronavirus cases.

"This is a direct result of Coloradans stepping up and taking the steps to protect themselves and others," Polis' post read.

The shift only applies to counties in Level Red, "which is the category designed to prevent us from having to lockdown in 'purple,'" he said.

Here's a list of what the shift from Level Red to Level Orange looks like:

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Counties such as Arapahoe, Douglas and Broomfield have been approved for the state's 5-Star Certification program, which allows businesses — those who are approved for the program — to operate under a level that's one step lower than their county's level.

"While Denver has applied to take part in the State’s 5 Star Certification Program for additional capacity in certain businesses beyond what is currently allowable, the city and county has not yet been approved," Denver officials said in a news release.

"Should Denver be approved, businesses will not be able to be certified for the program until Denver has met the Orange level metrics for at least two weeks and must continue to operate at Level Orange capacity limits."

Between Saturday afternoon and Sunday afternoon, 1,749 new cases of the coronavirus were reported in Colorado, according to public health data. As of Sunday, 341,250 cases of the coronavirus have been reported in the state among 2,158,828 tests that have been administered since the outbreak began, health officials confirmed.