Executive Order D 2020 017
March 25, 2020
Page 1 of 3

D 2020 017
EXECUTIVE ORDER
Ordering Coloradans to Stay at Home
Due to the Presence of COVID-19 in the State
Pursuant to the authority vested in the Governor of the State of Colorado and, in
particular, pursuant to Article IV, Section 2 of the Colorado Constitution and the relevant
portions of the Colorado Disaster Emergency Act, C.R.S. § 24-33.5-701, et seq. (Act), I, Jared
Polis, Governor of the State of Colorado, hereby issue this Executive Order ordering Coloradans
to stay at home whenever possible due to the presence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
in the State.
I.

Background and Purpose

On March 5, 2020, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s
(CDPHE) public health laboratory confirmed the first presumptive positive COVID-19 test result
in Colorado. Since then, the number of confirmed cases has continued to climb, and we have
evidence of community spread throughout the State. I verbally declared a disaster emergency on
March 10, 2020, and issued the corresponding Executive Order D 2020 003 on March 11, 2020
and requested that the President of the United States declare a Major Disaster for the State of
Colorado, pursuant to the Stafford Act, on March 25, 2020.
My administration, along with other state, local, and federal authorities, has taken a wide
array of actions to mitigate the effects of the pandemic, prevent further spread, and protect
against overwhelming our health care resources.
The actions we have undertaken to date are not yet doing enough to reduce the spread of
the virus, and we must take additional action to minimize the duration of this epidemic and of the
disruption to our daily lives. The virus that causes COVID-19 is spread primarily by close
contact between people and through respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs or
sneezes. Public health experts recommend we practice “social distancing,” or maintaining a
physical distance of six (6) feet or more from other people, as a way to slow the spread of
COVID-19.
This Executive Order requires Coloradans to stay at home, and subject to certain limited
exceptions, orders the Executive Director of the CDPHE to issue a public health order defining

 Executive Order D 2020 017
March 25, 2020
Page 2 of 3
critical emergency personnel, infrastructure, government functions, and other activities that are
exempt from the directives in this Executive Order.
II.

Directives
A.

This Executive Order will become effective Thursday, March 26, 2020, at 6:00
a.m.

B.

I direct all Coloradans to stay at home, subject to limited exceptions such as
obtaining food and other household necessities, going to and from work at critical
businesses, seeking medical care, caring for dependents or pets, or caring for a
vulnerable person in another location.

C.

I direct all businesses other than those qualified as “Critical Businesses” under
Public Health Order 20-24 or any Public Health Order issued pursuant to this
Executive Order, to close temporarily, except as necessary to engage in minimum
basic operations needed to protect assets and maintain personnel functions, as of
the effective date of this Executive Order.

D.

I direct the Executive Director of the CDPHE to issue a public health order
consistent with the directives in this Executive Order.
1. Certain individuals must continue to work outside their residences to provide
goods and services critical to our response to the COVID-19 epidemic
emergency. The public health order must therefore identify:
a. critical emergency personnel and infrastructure necessary to ensure
continuity of critical healthcare, government functions, public safety,
manufacturing, and supply chain operations;
b. certain critical businesses exempt from this Executive Order, provided
they comply with social distancing requirements;
c. steps all critical businesses must take to comply with social distancing
requirements; and
d. a process by which a local public health authority may obtain relief
from this Executive Order or any related Public Health Order issued
by CDPHE to more effectively meet local conditions and needs
without burdening public health resources in other parts of the State.
e. Nothing in this Executive Order prevents a local public health
authority from issuing an order more protective of public than this
Executive Order. For clarity, any stay at home or similar order issued
by a local jurisdiction remains in full force and effect.

 Executive Order D 2020 017
March 25, 2020
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2. Individuals must be permitted to carry on basic activities necessary to care for
themselves, their families, and to maintain their places of residence. The
public health order must therefore identify authorized activities individuals
may engage in consistently with the goals of this Executive Order.
III.

Duration

This Executive Order remains in effect through April 11, 2020 unless rescinded or
modified by further Executive Order.
GIVEN under my hand and
the Executive Seal of the
State of Colorado, twentyfifth day of March, 2020

Jared Polis
Governor