BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. – The county public health department warned people not to violate public health orders after it captured video Monday of large groups of people hanging out at Boulder Creek without any distancing or protective measures.
The video from Boulder County Public Health Executive Director Jeff Zayach shows dozens of people – mostly younger adults, it appears – lining the popular creek in Boulder, which is home to the University of Colorado.
Boulder County Public Health released video that shows large crowds gathered along Boulder Creek on Monday.
— Denver7 News (@DenverChannel) May 19, 2020
Officials said that by not keeping proper distance between them, people were putting themselves and others at risk. Police said they had not issued any citations. pic.twitter.com/MvGWxF9TJe
Zayach said that there were clearly groups of more than 10 people and that no one was adequately social distancing. The video shows few, if any, of the people wearing masks.
“Situations like these not only violate the state and local public health orders, but they put our whole community, our businesses, and our economy at risk,” Zayach said in a statement. “Please remember that it takes up to 14 days before we see who will become sick and spread the disease from this large gathering of people along the creek. Please take this virus seriously and limit gatherings to 10 people or less and remain at least six feet from each other.”
Zayach said the county health department, the city and Boulder Police Department were talking about the situation Tuesday.
The Boulder police department said it did not issue any citations Monday and was checking to see if there had been more complaints Tuesday.
But Zayach had a clear message to people violating public health orders under the safer at home phase, which still requires gatherings to be limited to 10 or fewer, with proper social distancing measures in place.
“Individual actions are putting our businesses and our most vulnerable in the community at further risk,” he said.
