DENVER — For all the attention the Denver Broncos have received for being allowed 5,700 fans at Mile High for the remaining home games, the stadium isn't the only venue that's allowed an exception from stricter capacity rules.
The state lists seven counties with "site-specific variances."
- Adams County: Gaylord of the Rockies
- Denver County: Denver Zoo, Botanic Gardens, Cherry Creek Mall, Four Mile Park, National Western Complex, Denver Museum of Nature and Science, Denver Art Museum and Wings Over The Rockies
- Douglas County: Park Meadows Mall
- El Paso County: Great Wolf Lodge Indoor Water Park, Manitou Cliff Dwellings and Flying W Ranch
- Garfield County: Iron Mountain Hot Springs, Glenwood Hot Springs, Hanging Lake and Glenwood Caverns
- Jefferson County: Butterfly Pavilion and Chatfield Farms
- Pueblo County: Pueblo Zoo and Eddie and Neta DeRose Football Stadium (for state football games)
Mile High is considered a "plan" and is bound by another section of the new 68-page public health order that incorporates the new color dial, where purple is the new red.
Site-specific variances allow for greater capacity.
Before thinking you can try to request a variance for a backyard Thanksgiving, the venue has to be at least 30,000 square feet to be considered.
Site-specific variances (not Mile High) will all be reviewed when those counties go to level red, which happens throughout the metro area on Friday.
Spokeswomen with the Denver Department of Public Health and the Jefferson County Department of Public Health said in emails that the state is still working on determining the process to reevaluate site-specific variances.
According to the new public health order, if two cases of COVID-19 are linked to a site, the county and that site need to work together to create strategies to reduce or eliminate further spread. Cases linked to a location with a site-specific variance does not necessarily suspend the variance.
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