Wednesday, Colorado Governor Jared Polis started to lay the foundation of what life will look like after he lifts the state's stay-at-home order.
The governor said the next five days should show how successful the stay-at-home order has been and whether or not it is realistic to be able to lift it at its currently-scheduled date of April 26.
He is well aware the order cannot last indefinitely.
"The answer is not staying at home for many months. It's not possible," he said. "It's a horrific thing for the economic devastation that can cause. It's a horrific thing psychologically. We're social animals. We love to be with our friends and family. It's really hard for kids not to be able to go over to their grandparents' house and for people not to be able to visit with their neighbors."
Gov. Polis says life must move on but when it does, it will likely look different than what people know normal to be.
"We need to create a way that we can live but live in a way that's psychologically, economically and socially sustainable throughout summer until the virus is addressed through a vaccine or a cure."
Lifting the stay-at-home order will not make the virus vanish and the governor says we have to take that into account after the stay-at-home order is lifted.
"I wish that relaxing restrictions was like turning a light switch on and off and we could all go back to how things were," the governor noted. "But it's going to look like a light dimmer. It's going to be more gradual over time because the virus can't be turned off and on. We're likely to live along with it until it's cured or there's a vaccine."
"Restrictions that were put in place - bars and restaurants, ski resorts, stay-at-home - were put in place over time and that will be similar to how they roll off," he added. "We're applying that same expertise and data. As we modify different restrictions over time, you create that sustainable way that we live for the coming months."
Gov. Polis said that social distancing will be with us for some time and businesses should to to think about operating in such an environment.
"I think a good thing for every business to think about is how can we maximize social distancing," he said. "Think about that plan. What does it mean for your business?"
"Does it mean that you have two shifts instead of one so there's half as many people at each and you can still get your work done? Does it mean that you build temporary fiberglass or glass barriers between work stations? Does it mean that you increase the number of people that can permanently telecommute? Those are the kind of questions that businesses should be asking themselves."
The governor said that while we are in the "urgent" stage of dealing with the coronavirus, we will enter the "stabilize" stage where we live in a way that acknowledges the virus and its effects but also allows people to, using some modified behavior such as social distancing, get back to working living their lives.
Gov. Polis also talked about working with neighboring states as the stay-at-home order is lifted, the new data that is available (weekly report on facility outbreaks and hospital discharge information), the goals they will continue to try to reach once the stay-at-home order is lifted, testing in Colorado and more.
His full remarks are below.
KOA NewsRadio's Jerry Bell says the governor will gradually lift restrictions after lifting the stay-at-home order.
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Jerry reports that life after the order is lifted will not immediately be like it used to be.
Jerry has more on the governor's mutli-state approach.
Full remarks from the governor on Wednesday: