Denver businesses can begin applying to take part in the Five Star Program, which allows companies that go “above and beyond” state COVID measures to expand their capacity.

The city received pre-approval to participate earlier this month. But full approval is contingent on steady COVID numbers.

For one, Denver has to fall below an average 350 cases per 100,000 people for seven days.

Denver dipped to 332 cases Wednesday, the first time it has been that low since Oct. 20.

But to give full approval to the county and the businesses, Denver must keep that level for another six days.

The applications to take part in the program will open Tuesday with 500 businesses to be approved in the opening salvo.

It’s hard to predict how many businesses qualify, said Eric Hiraga, the executive director of Denver Economic Development and Opportunity.

There are 7,000 possible, but Hiraga didn’t know if it would be “10% of 7,000 or 20%, 30%, 40%.” 

The applications will be considered on a first-come, first-serve basis, Hiraga said, and inspectors will conduct on-site examinations to ensure compliance.

If businesses such as restaurants or gyms institute certain measures that are above state requirements, they’ll be allowed to use more in-person patronage, which has been severely limited since November, when Denver and Colorado faced an unprecedented spike in cases. 

Hiraga said considerations include better ventilation and checking employees for symptoms. 

Health officials will continue accepting applications and doing prep work until they receive a full approval letter from the state. 

That Denver is close to loosening restrictions is a sign of the significant shift the city has made in controlling the pandemic.

While the case metric is now below 350 per 100,000, at one point it topped 1,300, and hospitals in the area warned they were nearing the breaking point.

Though things have improved, Bob McDonald, the executive director of the city’s Department of Public Health and Environment, said residents have to keep following masking, social distancing and other public health guidelines for the foreseeable future.

While vaccinations have become more common across Colorado, Denver is “only receiving about 8,000 doses a week,” which McDonald said is “not nearly enough.”

“it’s way too early to be thinking that way,” McDonald said of herd immunity. “We can’t be thinking about herd immunity yet. I’m confident we’ll get there, but we still have counties that are much less dense, much less populated than Denver is, and some counties in some cases have 1,000 cases per 100,000 people.”

Earlier this week, Gov. Jared Polis said those personal behavioral changes will stretch into the summer at least, though he said he wasn’t expecting them to last for another year.