EDITORIAL: Polis’ new plan for ‘Safer at Home’ breeds confusion and possibly more disease

Gov. Jared Polis’ ebullient defense Wednesday of changing course in the state’s battle against COVID-19 was anything but reassuring and was mostly confusing.

Polis, unlike many U.S. governors struggling with a deadly plague that has eviscerated local and national businesses, was on the forefront of progressive action just a few weeks ago. Trump, and a bevy of leaders in other states, and even this one, were delusional about how quickly this would pass and how little really needed to be done. Polis, however, courageously took the initiative to be candid about how serious the pandemic was and what economically excruciating steps were needed to contain it.

By decree, Polis shut down schools, businesses and more, making it clear the goal was to slow the spread of the virus to keep from overwhelming the state healthcare system with a flood of extremely sick and dying patients.

So far, the number of critical cases has been manageable. That, however, has come at a great cost to the well-being of front-line medical workers.

This week, Polis held two press conferences that departed from previously clear and pointed sessions. Polis simultaneously said this was by no means a “grand re-opening” of the Colorado economy, and then he kept referring to opening the state to take the crushing pressure off of ailing and failing businesses shuttered by the state mandate.

For a public that defies isolation orders or is champing at the bit to end this massive disruption — especially inane protesters who gather publicly and taunt infection — the nuance will clearly escape them.

Polis on Wednesday said the mantra and key to a recovery plan, “Stay at Home” is evolving to “Safer at Home.” Colorado doesn’t need marketing memes. We need clarity.

Health experts across the state have consistently said that widespread testing with timely results and tracing positive cases would be critical to Colorado re-opening the state without causing another spike in COVID-19 infections and deaths. Polis and others have said just last week the state was far from having that testing capability.

At this point, testing is still so limited in Colorado, and everywhere, that there’s no accurate picture of how widespread infection really is. It’s well-known now that a large number of people infected with the virus show few or no symptoms, yet they are able to spread the virus to others. What’s more, even the state’s health-department website recommends that anyone showing symptoms of COVID-19 stay home and not seek in-person medical treatment unless their illness becomes very serious. 

On Wednesday, Polis several times seemed to push back against how critical widespread testing and tracing will be to Colorado’s management of the virus. Instead, he said continued isolation of the most vulnerable residents, social distancing and especially wearing masks are paramount in slowing virus transmission.

If wearing masks is so critical to slowing the spread of the virus, why not make it mandatory like in many urban communities?

Polis has made clear that physically separating people in the public workforce is key to keeping virus infections from roaring back, but he said personal services such as nail salons and hair cutting would be allowed back almost immediately.

The governor said it would be important for all businesses ensure that employees working with the public or each other are not ill and should be checked daily for fever. At the same time, however, Polis and numerous experts have pointed out that a large but unknown number of virus victims spread the disease unknowingly and without noticeable symptoms.

When pressed further, Polis said that he and experts pouring over virus transmission models made the decision to transition now to methodical opening of the government because waiting longer would not have a substantial effect on reducing the number of new cases. While state records showing the number of newly identified positive cases is marginally useful because testing is still so limited, the daily number of deaths attributed to the disease has indeed slowed over the past week.

But shortly after Polis finished his press conference, President Donald Trump said information he had from national disease experts indicated that no state should open for at least a few more weeks, including Colorado. In fact, those models from IHME say Colorado should refrain from relaxing stay-home policies until the end of May. 

We’re confused, and we’re sure much of the public is, too.

Even more perplexing is whether health officials overseeing Aurora, Denver and the rest of the region will go along with Polis’ plan or stay the course by forcing residents to keep their distance from each other instead of just asking them. Denver’s stay-home order doesn’t expire until April 30. Aurora’s ends on Sunday.

We stood with Polis when he began addressing this crisis by pointing out that ignoring or prematurely ending closure mandates would only draw out and result in a net increase of economic pain caused by the pandemic. If this change makes sense for the crowded metro areas along the Front Range, Polis didn’t relate that, and without clarity and coordination among communities, it sounds much more like a plan for disaster rather than a plan for the future.