Denver Issues Revised Face Covering Order

Help Keep Denver in Business by Wearing Your Mask! ~

DENVER – Denver officials announced an update today to the city’s face-covering public health order, which was first issued in May to help stem the spread of COVID-19.

The city’s revised order aligns with the new statewide mask order, with several notable exceptions and additional restrictions:

• Denver will continue to mandate face coverings for all individuals three years of age or older (with some specific exemptions) until further notice; the State order moved this mandate to 11 years of age.
• Owners, operators, or managers of public indoor spaces in Denver must post signs in a conspicuous place at every public entrance to the facility and restrict access for people who are not complying with the face covering requirement. Signs must be clearly visible to the public and must use a city-provided template in a size not less than 11-inches wide and 14-inches in height. Signs must be posted by July 28, 2020.
• The Denver Department of Public Health & Environment will enhance enforcement efforts starting this week by providing additional staffing for response and coverage to evaluate compliance of high-risk social settings. Businesses will be ticketed (a court summons) if an employee does not wear a face covering or if 10 percent of customers are not wearing face coverings.
• Bars, restaurants, and other facilities may be cited and closed if individual parties are not clearly separated by the required spacing or customers are not wearing face coverings as required.

Denver’s revised face-covering order is effective until further notice. People/businesses may be issued a ticket with the potential for a $999 fine or 300 days in jail per violation for non-compliance with this order.

“Masking up and observing physical distancing are essential to keeping Denver open,” said Bob McDonald, executive director of Denver’s Department of Public Health & Environment. “There’s a lot we don’t have within our control regarding COVID-19 but wearing a mask and physically distancing are things each of us can do to prevent the spread of the virus in our community. How do we help keep our businesses open and avoid another shutdown? Wear your mask, maintain six feet of social distance, and keep gatherings small.”

Click here for the most recent guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

Evidence for Effectiveness of Cloth Face Coverings

Cloth face coverings are recommended as a simple barrier to help prevent respiratory droplets from traveling into the air and onto other people when the person wearing the cloth face covering coughs, sneezes, talks, or raises their voice. This recommendation is based on what we know about the role respiratory droplets play in the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19, paired with emerging evidence from clinical and laboratory studies that shows cloth face coverings reduce the spray of droplets when worn over the nose and mouth.

For more information on Denver’s response to COVID-19, resources, and guidance, please visit our website.