Headlines — February 28, 2022

Headlines Feb. 28, 2022

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CDC Revises COVID Mitigation Guidance

Face coverings are no longer necessary in indoor settings across most of the Front Range. That’s according to new guidance issued Friday by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

The CDC revised its masking recommendations according to a combination of new metrics at the county level. The metrics include new COVID-19 cases per 100 thousand residents, new hospital admissions in the past week and availability of staffed hospital beds.

The CDC’s new online tool to check a county’s risk levels shows Denver, Boulder, Broomfield, Arapahoe, Adams and Douglas at the lowest risk level.

Jefferson and Weld Counties are at medium risk. Larimer County is at a high-risk community level, at which the CDC continues to recommend the use of masks in indoor spaces.

Masks No Longer Required On School Buses 

The CDC has updated its guidance for public and private school buses. As of this morning, universal masking is no longer required on Boulder Valley School District buses and vans.

The school district dropped the masking requirement inside of school buildings just over a week ago, but federal guidelines kept mask mandates in effect on school buses. 

Face coverings are still required on flights and at airports through at least March 18th and on most forms of public transit.

RTD Hosts Public Meeting This Evening

The Denver-Metro Regional Transportation District (RTD), is asking for public comment on their new System Operation Plan.

The plan seeks to increase ridership, adjust to new travel patterns, and improve overall performance of the RTD system. An interactive map available online at RTD’s website allows residents to look at different routes and leave comments and recommendations.

RTD is also hosting two public meetings to share the new System Operation Plan and collect feedback. The first meeting is tonight, February 28th, at 5:30 PM over zoom and will be conducted in English. The second meeting is Thursday, March 3rd, at 5:30 PM over zoom and will be conducted in Spanish. More information is available here.

Boulder County Working Group On ARPA Funds Meets Tonight

Today kicks off a six week-long dive into how Boulder County will spend tens of millions of dollars allocated under the American Recovery Plan Act, or ARPA.

Boulder County has created three working groups that will focus on economic challenges, housing affordability, and mental health and social resilience. The work begins today and will continue through April, with workshops and meetings on the impacts of COVID-19 and the needs and wants of community members. 

The county will post recordings of these meetings on their website and is asking for input and feedback. 

The federal government allocated more than $63 million in ARPA funding to Boulder County. According to a county press release, half of that money arrived last year, and the rest is expected by the summer. 

Colorado To Receive $385 Million From Opioid Settlement

Colorado will soon receive its first disbursement of funds from a multibillion dollar settlement with pharmaceutical companies as part of a nationwide opioid lawsuit. 

Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser announced Friday that over 18 years, the state will receive $385 million.

The $26 billion settlement is the second largest multi-state settlement in U.S. history after a similar deal reached with tobacco companies. 

According to the Colorado Attorney General’s Office, the companies will start releasing funds to a national administrator on April 2nd and the money will become available to state and local governments this summer or early fall. 

Farewell To Jamie Sudler

The KGNU newsroom wants to thank Jamie Sudler for his nine years of service as a volunteer headlines producer. Jamie began producing the headlines in 2013 at the suggestion of the News Director Joel Edelstein. Since then, he has spent countless volunteer hours compiling the news summaries for KGNU listeners, arriving at the Denver studios often before anyone else at the Buell Media Center. 

While Jamie is stepping down from headlines production, you will continue to hear him on the Morning Magazine every Tuesday with This Week in Water and in a KGNU newsroom series that’s currently in development. 

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