People walk through downtown Aspen in the mandatory mask zone on Tuesday, April 13, 2021. (Kelsey Brunner/The Aspen Times)
With coronavirus cases on the decline and Pitkin County back in the less restrictive Yellow level on the state’s COVID-19 dial, the Aspen City Council again discussed extending the facial mask ordinance into June and floated the idea of eliminating the outdoor mask zone at its Tuesday meeting.
Councilman Ward Hauenstein suggested amending the ordinance to eliminate the outdoor rule, which would put the city in line with the current Pitkin County mask ordinance.
Masks would be required outdoors only when people cannot remain more than 6 feet apart; they are currently required at all times when not eating or drinking in Aspen’s downtown core.
Reservations to visit Maroon Bells are nearly full
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Summer events in Aspen being planned, modified
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The opening of the new Aspen City Hall has been delayed by at least a month due to COVID-19 issues, along with modest budget increases for the nearly $49 million project.
Aspen City Council heard during a work session Tuesday that the 37,500-square-foot building is scheduled to be fully open around Thanksgiving.
Schedule delays are related to the initial shutdown last March, as well as crew quarantines and limited manpower working within Pitkin County COVID public health order guidelines at 50% capacity, according to Rob Schober, the city’s capital asset project manager.
City staff has contained the financial implications of the delays within the project’s contingency fund and is working to minimize any further impacts moving forward, Schober said.