Boulder County public health order targets CU students, Greek houses
Boulder County issued a new public health order Thursday prohibiting college-aged residents from gathering and placing more than 30 specific properties — largely Greek houses — under a stay-at-home mandate as cases of COVID-19 surge among University of Colorado students.
The order mandates:
- Gatherings of any size within the city of Boulder among anyone 18 to 22 years old are prohibited
- Residents of 36 identified properties must stay at home except for essential activates
- All CU students must monitor and report their COVID-19 symptoms, follow testing, isolation and quarantine rules and cooperate with contract tracing
The order prohibiting 18-to-22-year-olds from gathering in groups of any size applies both indoors and outdoors — even in a dorm, the order states.
In a letter to the CU community, Chancellor Phil DiStefano said most of the 36 properties targeted by Boulder County are fraternities and sororities. County officials said residents of those addresses “repeatedly violated public health orders.”
Those who violate the order face a misdemeanor charge subject to criminal and civil penalties and fines. Penalties include up to 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine. CU students will also be reported to the university for potential discipline including exclusion from campus, suspension or expulsion.
The order, which adds teeth to the county’s suggested self-quarantine of all CU students announced last week, goes into effect at 4 p.m. Thursday and lasts for two weeks.
On Wednesday, the Colorado Department of Public Health and weekly database update listed the CU Boulder community as the largest COVID-19 outbreak in the state, with more than 1,200 students and 12 staff members infected — dwarfing any outbreak the state has listed thus far.
This is a developing story that will be updated.
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