By Senator Bob Gardner
On March 11, 2020, Gov. Jared Polis declared a state of emergency in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) then stepped in and has since issued over 45 public health orders and amendments. Versions of almost all the original public health orders are still in effect today.
These health orders have impacted our state in unprecedented ways. They closed restaurants, bars, gyms, and any other business they did not consider “essential.” Businesses fortunate enough to remain open were required to social distance and hold limited capacity. The result has been devastating for Colorado jobs and businesses.
In 2019 we had a thriving state economy with one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country. Now we have one of the highest. We have lost numerous businesses and hundreds of thousands of Coloradans have lost their jobs.