Denver Mayor Michael Hancock has ordered all Denver residents to shelter in place beginning Tuesday evening.
The order, which takes effect at 5 p.m. Tuesday, will not prevent Denver Public Schools from continuing its meal distribution at Denver schools, he said, and will also not impede the district’s ability to distribute technology to families that need it later this week.
Hancock said he had been in touch with Denver’s superintendent about the order.
The order exempts several businesses so they can continue operating, including day care centers, but provides several conditions.
Denver child care “must be carried out in stable groups of 10 or fewer” meaning that the same students must be in the same group every day. If a center cares for multiple groups of children, each group of 10 must be in separate rooms and the groups “shall not mix.” The child care provider must stay with only one group of students.
In the home, the order also restricts “nanny and babysitting services” unless the person providing the service and the individual being cared for already live together, also provides medical care, or if the service is to allow a parent to continue to work in an essential, exempt business or government role.
Additionally, Denver’s order will prohibit organized groups from meeting in the parks for games, picnics or other activities, and will close playgrounds. But Hancock said as long as people can stay 6 feet away from others, they can continue to go on walks, hikes and jogs.