Gov. Jared Polis spoke to the state for about 18 minutes in primetime Monday night about the challenges facing Colorado in the days ahead as the casualties mount. The governor announced he would extend the stay-at-home order until April 26, two weeks past its original end date and four days ahead of the order issued by the President. 

“If there is any way to safely end it sooner, then we will. And likewise if Coloradans aren’t staying at home and the numbers of the dead and dying continue to increase, then it could go longer.”

He said the science and data guided his choice, because staying home is Colorado’s best chance to save lives and restore normality.

“I know that we would all rather be going back to work tomorrow instead of collecting government stimulus checks or unemployment insurance,” the governor said.

“I know that business owners will have to make even harder decisions this month. I know we all want this to end as soon as possible. But if the choice is between a temporary shutdown and a catastrophic loss of life, the choice is clear. These closures and restrictions will be temporary. But when you lose a life, you lose it forever.”

Polis pointed to the changes in the spread of the virus, due to the social distancing and stay-at-home measures. Instead of cases doubling every two days, it’s now at five to six days. 

“That is a remarkable achievement by the people of this state. I want to thank each and every one of you who has been taking this seriously. You are truly helping to turn the tide against this virus,” Polis added. So this is not the time to abandon what has been working.

“We need to keep up this good work for a while longer so we can eventually return to a level of normalcy in our economy and our society.”

Recovery from the virus and its economic devastation is possible, “and we will get there,” he pledged, but these efforts will be in vain and many lives will be lost, if we fail to do our crucial patriotic duty and stay home.” He pleaded with Coloradans to continue to stay at home, practice social distancing, asking people to stay more than six feet apart, and to continue to practice good handwashing. 

Polis also pointed to deregulation and other efforts to help Coloradans get through the crisis. 

“What matters now is not what you believe politically, your religious faith, your occupation, your age, your race… none of that matters here, none of that matters to the virus. What matters is that the more we stay home, the better chance we have of beating this virus so we can all go back to the things that make life worth living.”

“This April will be known as the lost month,” Polis said. “We won’t get it back,” but there will be many more. He asked Coloradans to do their best to remain positive. “None of this is permanent.”

Public health officials with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment said Monday afternoon that while state had logged 5,172 cases via testing, the number could be as high as 18,000 cases, or as much as 0.03% of the state’s total population.

“We are still at the beginning of this epidemic,” Dr. Jill Hunsaker Ryan, executive director of the state health department, said in the news conference Monday afternoon.

State and federal officials are planning to put 2,000 beds at the Colorado Convention Center later this month, if necessary, and Denver Mayor Michael Hancock sent a letter Monday to hotel and motel operators across the city asking for their help.

House Speaker KC Becker of Boulder held a telephone town hall Monday for constituents of her sprawling Boulder-based district. She isn’t expecting the legislature, which suspended deliberations on March 14, to return until mid-May.

She said they are expecting a $2 billion shortfall in the current fiscal year that ends on June 30 that must be dealt with by cuts, beyond what federal money can backfill.

“We don’t have answers right now,” she said of the future.

State Rep. Edie Hooton, a fellow Democrat, joined her on the call and lauded the state’s leadership for its response.

“I think we’re incredibly fortunate to have the leadership of the governor, of course, our speaker and the Senate leadership in addressing as quickly as possible this incredible crisis,” Hooton said of another Boulder Democrat. “It’s meeting us on so many levels.”

Republicans in the legislature think the governor, however, is hoarding information.

House Republicans sent Polis a letter Monday asking for “clarity and transparency” in providing data on the outbreaks, saying it had been hard to follow and at times, they felt, misleading.

“Coloradans need accurate and clear numbers regarding the progression of COVID-19,” House Republican Leader Patrick Neville of Castle Rock said in a statement. “We need to know what methods and models are being used. We should know confirmed cases as well as recovered cases. Most importantly, Governor Polis needs to provide his metrics for success with real, obtainable goals.

“If we are trying to ‘flatten the curve’ which metric is most important right now? Is it the amount of overall cases or the rate of increased cases? Is it the amount of available hospital beds? If the amount of recovered patients exceed new cases, will he start lifting shelter in place in a measured way? We don’t know and this is concerning.”

State Sen. Ray Scott, a Republican from Mesa County, said before Monday evening’s address that he wanted to hear straight answers from the governor.

“We need the governor to be open and honest about any data or modeling he has, but more specifically we need to know by county and city who is at the most risk so people can avoid those areas,” Scott said. “This crisis is devastating people emotionally and financially and his decisions must take into account each regions population in a more surgical manner if at all possible, and as the virus curve flattens to begin moving towards a more normal existence across Colorado’s counties.

“With changes in his policy comes hope and we need hope now.”