Updated with seven new nursing and rehab facilities with outbreaks, added 4/4/20.

Gov. Jared Polis announced Friday that he’s asking Coloradans to start wearing cloth, non-medical masks for any essential trip outside the home, to the grocery store or for any other purpose, to further help prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19.

Combining face coverings with frequent hand washing reduces transmission of the virus, Polis said, donning a mask several times during his Friday news conference.

“Let’s make it cool! Show everyone what you’re doing to be clever and cool about wearing masks,” he said, and have fun with it. 

Joining him was musician Nathaniel Rateliff via video-conference to encourage people to wear masks and to launch a state partnership with the Colorado Mask Project. 

Polis said that South Korea, Taiwan and Japan – countries with the best responses to COVID-19 and with less cases and deaths – already have a strong mask culture, the governor said. “You see people with masks on the street every day,” and he called it an important part of reducing the spread of virus and could help return a functional economy where people can work.

“Wear non-medical cloth masks for any activities,” he said, adding that the masks do not serve as a barrier to a person within the home who may have COVID-19.

“This is for the foreseeable future,” Polis said. “This will be our culture for now.”

Studies show every reason to use these non-medical masks as a precaution, and given that the spread of the virus occurs mostly through droplets in the air, the fabrics can filter those droplets, he said. 

In other announcements, Polis also discussed additional help for businesses in Colorado, ordering a delay in payment of state sales taxes for 30 days without penalty or interest.

This is a one-time extension, he said.

“We want to make sure that as soon as you can reopen you’re able to reopen. Delaying all payments due is in recognition of fact that revenue is not being generated right now,” the governor explained.

Polis also said he’s asking counties to allow property owners to delay paying property taxes due at this time of year. His request would allow those taxes to be split into two payments, one due in April, the second in June. Another assist to businesses is an executive order extending deadlines for businesses that must submit paperwork to county assessors.

“We’re doing everything we can to help businesses and communities,” Polis said.

The governor’s office also announced today that Colorado had received a third shipment of personal protective equipment from the Strategic National Stockpile, although still woefully short of what has been requested.

To date, the state has received:

• 220,010 N95 masks
• 517,000 surgical masks
• 100,232 face shields
• 100,140 surgical gowns
• 504,000 gloves
• 3,816 coveralls

Colorado has asked for 2.5 million N95 masks, 4.46 million surgical masks, 880,000 face shields, 720,000 surgical gowns and 4.3 million gloves from the stockpile. However, the state isn’t relying on the federal government and is placing orders with companies both in the United States and China.

The state has also asked for 10,000 ventilators. Not one has been sent from the stockpile, although there have also been reports that the ventilators coming from the stockpile don’t work.

As of mid-day Friday, the state has had 4,174 positive cases of COVID-19; 860 people have been hospitalized and 105 people have died. The state has tested more than 22,000, the governor said. 

“We’ve made enormous progress on testing,” Polis said. More than 2,000 tests are being run per day, although the  state has the capacity to run 10,000 tests per day. That includes tests being run by partners such as UC Health, National Jewish and Children’s Hospital.

But the state isn’t performing 10,000 tests per day, Polis said, due to a lack of reagents and testing supplies. That means priority for testing is for those in the health care profession.

Over the next two weeks, he said he hopes the state, once it has sufficient supplies, to be doing 3,500 tests per day and 5,000 per day by May 1.

Polis also indicated he is not quite ready to extend the state of emergency executive order issued March 11. That order expires on April 11.

“It’s very likely we will need to extend the executive order,” but he wants to make that decision based on data, although he promised not to make that call at the 11th hour.

President Trump’s guidance is for stay-at-home orders through April 30. Colorado schools are already ordered to stay closed until then and many are ending in-person schooling for the remainder of the school year. 

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment updated its list of non-hospital health care facilities with outbreaks, which is defined as a minimum of two positive tests for COVID-19.

There are now 27 facilities with outbreaks, as of April 3. Those in bold are the newest on the list from the April 3 update.

• Inglenook in Brighton Adams
• Libby Bortz, Arapahoe
• Serenity House, Arapahoe
• Someren Glen, Arapahoe
• Abundant Blessings (Lincoln Way, Centennial) Arapahoe
• Makarios Aurora, Arapahoe
• Serenity House, Arapahoe
• Frasier Meadows, Boulder
• Boulder Manor, Boulder
• Bridge at Longmont, Boulder
• Columbine Manor, Salida Chaffee
• Jewell Care Center, Denver
• Amberwood Court Rehab, Denver
• Courtyards at Mountain View, Denver
• Highline Rehab and Care Community, Denver
• Laurel Manor, El Paso
• MorningStar at Mountain Shadows, El Paso
• Terrace Gardens, El Paso
• Winslow Court Assisted and Senior Lliving, El Paso
• Mapleton Care Center in Lakewood, Jefferson
• Granville Assisted Living Center, Jefferson
• Sierra Rehab and Care Community, Jefferson
• North Shore, Larimer
• Casey’s Pond, Routt
• RiverPointe Senior Living, Tri-County (Arapahoe)
• Fairacres Manor (Greeley) Weld
• Centennial Healthcare Center (Sava) Weld