As of press time Tuesday evening, one could squint at the lawn in front of the offices of The Chaffee County Times on East Main Street and see scattered sprigs of green grass venturing out of the earth otherwise covered in last seasonsâs dry yellow shoots.
While Chaffee County, like The Timesâ lawn, isnât quite ready to green just yet, on Wednesday it did move from the Yellow level on the state COVID-19 dial to Blue, representing a relaxation of pandemic restrictions as vaccines are distributed and the county, state and nation grow cautiously optimistic.
âThe chamber is so excited and proud to be moving to this less restrictive phase,â said Buena Vista Chamber of Commerce executive director Melissa Traynham. âOur local business community, like so many, has made incredible sacrifices over the past year to keep our county safe. To see them be able to operate with less restrictions in this Blue Level l is a direct reflection of their hard work and diligence throughout the pandemic ⦠We know that there is still work to be done and we will all continue to practice safe measures, while being able to serve our community members and tourists. Our businesses have worked hard this past year and have earned this opportunity. We very much look forward to seeing them continue to thrive.â