Governor Polis Clarifies Colorado Mask Mandate

Governor Jared Polis has amended the wording on an Executive Order that requires Coloradans to wear masks in public on Monday, December 14.

The amendment was meant to "clarify a common question" about the mask restrictions for public indoor spaces.

The executive order now states that "individuals in a public indoor space must wear masks, even if standing or sitting still."

It also states that individuals who are completely alone in a room are not required to wear a mask.

The mandate asks that all people 10 years old and older comply with mask requirements.

Governor Polis first announced the mask mandate back in mid-July to help "flatten the curve" in Colorado. At that point, several counties already had a mask mandate in place.

Last week, Polis extended the mask mandate for another 30 days.

While announcing the executive order, Polis said about one in 40 people in Colorado are currently contagious with COVID-19.

On Monday, December 14, the state's first shipment of the Pfizer vaccine arrived at the State Lab. Front-line health care workers were the first to be administered the vaccine.

In a news conference on Friday, December 11, Polis warned Coloradans that the vaccine does not give you immediate immunity, and urged residents to continue wearing masks and social distancing.

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