COLORADO SPRINGS — Gov. Jared Polis urged Coloradans to continue practicing social distancing and avoiding large gatherings over the Labor Day weekend.
Polis reassured Colorado is doing better than other states and warned that "the minute" our behaviors let up, this can change the trajectory.
He mentioned the upcoming holiday weekend and expressed that our current numbers that are allowing us to do more normal activities could be changed if there are bad decisions this Labor Day weekend.
"This is not a joke," Polis said. "...Now is not the time to party."
Many schools started the school year in the last week or so, especially colleges and universities. He mentioned parties at CU Boulder that campus officials said they will be cracking down on students who gather in large groups or violate a public health order.
In a letter sent out to students last Thursday, the University said anyone who is caught hosting or attending a party will, at minimum, be excluded from campus for two weeks, be placed on probation and be required to participate in educational sanctions.
CU President Mark Kennedy urged all college-aged students to follow guidelines in place for the upcoming weekend, wear a mask and avoid large gatherings.
"You hold the ability to protect your community," said David Holguin, a CU Denver student. He said he understands how difficult it is to build community with peers given the circumstances.
This update comes one day after Polis was joined by other Colorado officials where they announced several programs and agreements aimed at expanding broadband across the state – particularly for low-income households with students.
Part of the expansion will come from an October 2019 settlement from the state with T-Mobile over its merger with Sprint. The company will give free hot spots and 100 GB of data per year for up to 34,000 low-income households with students.
To qualify, families will have to be in a T-Mobile service area, and eligibility will be based on whether or not a student is involved in the National School Lunch Program.
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