Updated 3:07 p.m.
Gov. Jared Polis announced Tuesday that Colorado will adjust the "COVID-19 dial" that counties and health officials use to judge the severity of the pandemic. Polis, Denver Mayor Michael Hancock and top lawmakers announced the new rules that apply to Denver and other counties, which they did not name.
The new temporary restrictions will ban dining inside restaurants — takeout and delivery will still be available — and will limit capacity in gyms to 10 percent. Hancock called on residents of the Denver area to step up.
"But if we're going to reverse the trend, we must move now with additional measures before more drastic steps have to be taken," the mayor said.
Denver will likely move to this new level of restrictions in the next few days. Counties with hospitals that have been overwhelmed could face more extensive stay-at-home rules. Still, Polis urged everyone to stay home whenever possible.
"There is a risk everywhere in our entire state," he said. "Whether it's 1 in 60 in your area or 1 in 120, this is the riskiest time for the virus everywhere in Colorado that we've had from the very start."
In October, the state submitted a draft plan to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention laying out how possible vaccines would be distributed and which Coloradans would be the first to get them.
Note: The governor's briefings don't always start on time.
