Yesterday, the City and County of Denver deemed liquor stores and dispensaries non-essential in an effort to stop the spread of coronavirus by shutting down more and more businesses. This plan backfired in as little as 30 minutes a crowds swarmed to stock up before the shutdown, causing huge crowds and fear from owners who tried to control the masses. The decision was reversed and extreme distancing was put in place instead, with customers required to remain six feet apart, including in lines that are now wrapping around  buildings. There has been both support and criticism of the decision, as... Read More

With the recent sightings of mountain lions going up in Boulder, it’s important to understand what to do if you run into a mountain lion or a bear in the wild or even within city limits! It’s important to stay calm if you encounter a bear and to provide less opportunities for bears to want to wander into human territory.   NEVER RUN. Running can make a bear chase you. Keep your distance. Back slowly away facing the bear. Avoid direct eye contact. Slowly and calmly leave the area. Talk aloud so the bear will become aware of you. Be extra careful around a female with cubs. Never... Read More

Matt Harris wrote a column for AboutBoulder years ago called Motivational Monday for about two years highlighting different ways to stay positive and motivated. Matt has since harnessed this creativity and motivation into writing a series of books called Relentless Forward Momentum, all about taking a dream and making it into a reality. Matt has rejoined AboutBoulder to offer his advice on staying positive and motivated even during a pandemic. “It’s normal to feel weird sometimes, and not normal as the whole world has been flipped upside down. Focus on bringing yourself back to the... Read More

Many people are struggling with the impacts of the coronavirus and crucial services for vulnerable populations need volunteers and donations in this time. American Red Cross The cancellation of almost all events and gathering, including blood drives, has resulted in a shortage of blood supplies nationwide. To give blood, go to redcross.org. Meals on Wheels The nationwide group that delivers meals to the elderly is seeking volunteers as some cities and states enact tough restrictions to slow the spread of the virus. To work with local programs, go here for more information. Feeding America  The... Read More

COVID has certainly changed the way we look at our homes, with the remote work experience driving the move away from densely populated areas. With the lack of traditional city experiences like dining out, theater shows, sports and nightlife, many may gravitate toward an environment where socially  distanced activities like hiking and biking are easier to achieve. Since COVID, Boulder Country Club has filled all it’s available membership spots for full golf and par 3, primarily because golf and tennis are sports that support social distancing. The United Van Lines Movers Study, shows people... Read More

After restrictions were lifted two weeks ago allowing in-person service to bars and nightclubs, Polis has reversed this decision as of yesterday due to a a slight uptick in coronavirus cases in Colorado. This comes after many states have had record-breaking numbers of new cases. Polis noted the surges neighboring states are experiencing. He said he does not want Colorado to “become a mecca” for people visiting bars. “We don’t want to stand out,” he said. “There is not a way that we have found for them to be a reasonably safe part of people’s lives during the month of July, in our... Read More

Polis acknowledged that “data is now starting to show a reversal of some of our gains” in a recent statement after extending the state of emergency for another 30 days. Polis stated, “this emergency extension helps Colorado further support our response efforts and remain prepared in the face of this global pandemic.” Colorado’s diligent mask use and social distancing efforts have so far kept coronavirus cases relatively low after certain sectors have been reopened, and Polis acknowledged this and encouraged the population to continue these safe standards, especially... Read More

With no professional sports, no collegiate athletics, and the Summer Olympics postponed until next year, the assumption is that sports are gone for now as we sit and wait for it all to return. But that’s not true. Even with the quarantine limiting our access, and changing life’s rules, sport continues on. Here are the top seven sports of quarantine. Tik Tok – Once considered a basic social app that just needed a teenager, a trendy song, and a simple 15 second dance routine, Tik Tok is now a major sport in most households. With nothing but time on our hands, Tik Tok now requires 37 takes... Read More

Gov. Polis released guidelines for restaurants to reopen this week, provided that the establishments follow social distancing rules such as limiting the number of patrons and frequently sanitizing seating areas. There was a gray area as to whether bars and breweries could open under these guidelines as well, as many serve food in addition to drinks, and the guidelines only specify establishments with food and specifically says “All bars must remain closed to in-person patrons (take-out permitted, e.g. beer sales/cocktail kits from a brewery).” However, Polis stated that bars and breweries that... Read More

New guidelines are being put in place to allow CU Boulder students back on campus for the upcoming fall semester. Guidelines include mandatory safety training, mask-wearing requirements, smaller class sizes and the creation of small groups of on-campus students who will live, socialize and go to class together. While in-person classes are scheduled to happen, they will halt after the university’s fall break. After Thanksgiving break, students will remain at home for the remainder of the school year and finish their semester online. This decision is aimed at preventing the spread of the virus... Read More

The novel coronavirus is hitting everyone hard in different ways; the elderly are more at risk, parents are being forced to homeschool their children, and young adults in their early 20s are losing jobs at a rapid pace. Unemployment is currently at nearly 25% across the country, and the vast majority of this is coming from young people, who are slightly above 25%. The younger generation is fleeing the cities they were once living in after losing their jobs and returning home to the suburbs, usually with their parents, as they reconsider life in the city. All of its attractions, the nightlife and... Read More

Preliminary studies have shown that those living at higher elevations may be less susceptible to the severe side effects of coronavirus. The research shows so far that two major factors are contributing to a less severe outbreak of the virus: thinner air and higher altitudes. Those who consistently breathe in thinner air are used to having less oxygen in their blood, and may experience the breathlessness that comes with coronavirus less severely. The virus also cannot survive as long in a high altitude. This could lead to treatment with those who have the virus.  Read More

The Colorado Department of Health released new figures on Friday changing how they categorized COVID-19 deaths. These changes have come as the Department of Health begins sorting through cases of coronavirus deaths to determine whether the cause of death was from coronavirus or whether there was an alternative death in a person who happened to be positive for coronavirus. So far, there have been about 300 fewer deaths than previously thought. The discrepancy has to do with how the Department of Health categorizes deaths when it reports them federally. Additionally, the state “emphasized that... Read More

Colorado state parks will begin to slowly and methodically reopen campgrounds beginning this week, just in time for summer. “We are limiting and spacing out campgrounds. A lot of our campground won’t be more than 50% full because we want to have plenty of distance,” a Colorado Parks and Wildlife spokesperson said. “That’s a big difference folks are going to see.” While some state parks are once again welcoming back campers, national parks remain closed to overnight guests. A timeline on when they will begin to reopen is not known. Polis said he would discuss the matter during his trip... Read More

Coronavirus-related travel bans have affected much of the world and airline travels, but the super rich are now getting hit by something that has never affected them before. Private jet operators are now refusing to travel even when being offered buckets of money if the travel is against the law. The laws are changing on a daily basis, with some countries banning foreign travel altogether, and others banning travel to or from specific countries. Operators say that the majority of the desired travel is one way, with passengers intending on staying in place once they get somewhere as opposed to... Read More

You may have seen #ColoradoGivesBack trending on social media, and it’s all going to a good cause. The Lumineers and other local bands and icons such as Nathaniel Rateliff, The Fray, Payton Manning, and Gov. Polis joined forces yesterday in a musical livestream to raise money to benefit MusiCares & The Colorado Restaurant Association. Through the Spotify COVID-19 Music Relief project, Spotify is also matching any donation to MusiCares, dollar for dollar, up to a collective total of $10 million. You can still donate to the project, and yesterday alone the fundraiser raised over $100,000.  Read More

Laurie Garrett is an expert in contagious diseases, and predicted a similarly deadly disease that halted humanity in her 1994 bestseller The Coming Plague. This was around the time that Laurie started being in high demand, after she predicted and reported on the impact of HIV and won a Pulitzer for her reported work on Ebola in 1996. What else has she predicted? For one, she doesn’t think the impacts of the virus are going to end any time soon. Laurie predicts at least 36 months before anything begins to slow down. “I’m quite certain that this is going to go in waves,” she added. “It... Read More

Beginning May 9, every person over the age of 12 will be required to wear some sort of face covering while anywhere in public in Boulder. “Although the science varies, most public health experts agree wearing facial coverings in public as social distancing restrictions are eased can help us further reduce the spread of COVID-19 that we’ve achieved by staying at home,” said Bill Hayes, Boulder County Public Health COVID response safety officer. “Facial coverings are not a panacea, however. They must be worn properly to be effective, and they should not be a reason to reduce social distancing.” The... Read More

As coronavirus restrictions continue, Americans are forced to recognize things they may not have been paying attention to before. Bird watching is one category that has seen a spike as people have the time and the opportunity to head outdoors and take up a new hobby. Many Americans have personally noted their own interest in bird watching, but the numbers don’t lie either. Downloads of the National Audubon Society’s bird identification app in March and April doubled compared to this time last year, and unique visits to its website are up by a half-million. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology... Read More

The Regional Economic Development Institute at Colorado State University has determined that the majority of Coloradoans receiving unemployment benefits are making more than they were making at their jobs. The cutoff point for this number is about $30 an hour, meaning if you make less than that there is financial incentive not to return to work. Since the majority of workers unemployed due to the crisis were working in low paying service sectors, recipients could be receiving up to 150% more than they were making while employed. Unemployed workers are currently receiving both state and federal... Read More