The Boulder County Board of Health voted Monday night to rescind its indoor mask mandate, effectively ending face covering requirements for most of the Front Range.
Under the new guidelines, private businesses and K-12 schools will not require masks indoors beginning Feb. 18. However, public health officials still recommend masking for anyone 2 and older until case transmission becomes mild. Individual businesses and schools in the county will be able to set more strict guidelines.
“Despite those positive trends, not all the news is good. The number of COVID-19 deaths in Boulder County continues to increase and, although hospitalizations are decreasing, new COVID-19 cases continue to add strain to the county’s already over-taxed health care providers,” BCPH executive director Camille Rodriguez said in a release.
The mask mandate’s removal comes as COVID-19 trends, including deaths and hospitalizations, in the state drop after a prolonged wave brought on by the omicron variant. Even so, state health officials say transmission is still higher than they’d prefer. According to CDC data, a vast majority of Colorado counties are still seeing high community transmission.
What to know about COVID, testing, masks and more in Colorado right now:
- BIG PICTURE: Omicron COVID cases are falling in Colorado. What that means for hospitals, masking and life
- J&J VACCINES: If you got the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, you should get a booster shot. Here’s why
- COLLEGE BOOSTERS: These are the Colorado colleges and universities requiring booster shots for faculty, students and staff
- HOW TO USE AT-HOME TESTS: At home rapid COVID tests: how to use them and why they may mislead you if you don’t have symptoms
- REPORTING AT-HOME TESTS: If you take an at-home COVID test and it’s positive, you’re supposed to report it to Colorado officials. Here’s how
- WHERE TO GET A BOOSTER: Here’s where you can get a COVID booster shot and test in Colorado
Boulder was the last remaining county in the urban corridor with a mask policy in place. Denver, Broomfield and several mountain counties all voted to end mask mandates in recent weeks.
As of Tuesday morning, the University of Colorado Boulder has not announced any changes to its indoor mask mandate. Its sister campuses in Denver and Colorado Springs have not ended their mask mandate, even after the counties they’re in dropped theirs.
Masks will still be required on public transportation and in airports, per federal guidelines.
