Statement: Mayor Daniella Levine Cava on the County Curfew and COVID-19 Health Protocols

As our County works to aggressively vaccinate our vulnerable populations with the limited supply of vaccines made available by the state, we continue to pay close attention to the spread of COVID-19 in our community. Particularly with the threat of new variants emerging that spread even more rapidly, it’s critical that we do not let our guard down. We are turning a corner with increased vaccinations and it's as essential as ever that our residents follow public health protocols.

With the federal government signaling a more robust vaccine deployment program, and my commitment to significantly ramping up vaccine distribution, I have asked Chief Public Safety Officer JD Patterson and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Peter Paige to undertake a 30-day deep-dive into the medical data on positivity rates and health protocols enforcement as we evaluate the continued countywide midnight curfew. My Chiefs will provide an overview of the data and recommendations to the Board of County Commissioners in March on all protocols our community should follow. I am confident that by working together with our residents and businesses, we can drive down our positivity rate below the 5-percent mark to minimize community spread of COVID-19. We can and we will get through this final chapter in the fight against the pandemic as we continue to safeguard lives and livelihoods.