With Coloradans distracted by the never-ending ongoing election results more than a week after the election, Gov. Polis took the opportunity to extend his never-ending ongoing Covid executive order to include flu and respiratory viruses.
Polis says he expanded the disaster emergency to include RSV, influenza, and other respiratory illnesses “due to the serious increases in infection and hospitalization throughout the state.”
The hospitalizations statewide — totaling 92 since Oct. 2 — averaged nearly three patients admitted each day for flu or RSV, the symptoms for the latter being little more than the common cold.
Polis’s emergency declaration states: “The Colorado Disaster Emergency Act (Act) defines a disaster as ‘the occurrence or imminent threat of widespread or severe damage, injury, or loss of life or property resulting from any natural cause or cause of human origin, including but not limited to . . . epidemic.’”
We are not aware of a flu or RSV pandemic. While unfortunate, three hospital admittances per day statewide, whether for emergency room only for immediate care, or long term, does not seem deserving of an emergency executive order.
The emergency order is only for 30 days, but then again, so is the original emergency order for COVID that began in the spring of 2020.
Some folks are rightly suspicious of Polis’s action.
Only took Colorado Governor Jared Polis(D) 2 days after the election to turn right back into a ruthless tyrant.
That’s right.
2 days.#copolitics— Mr T 2 (@GovtsTheProblem) November 16, 2022
RT @GovtsTheProblem: Jared Polis(D) ran a campaign saying he supports individual liberty and then right after the election he seized dictatorial powers over people using the flu as an excuse.
And the Media will let him get away with it.
Like usual.#copolitics— KFOY (@KFOYRadio) November 15, 2022
Resorting to executive orders for government overreach every time a Democrat sniffles and sneezes is exactly what Polis meant when he campaigned on preserving the freedom of Coloradans.
I reached out to @jaredpolis‘ water boy, @reason, to ask if granting himself permanent COVID emergency powers was a characteristic of Libertarianism.
They did not respond.#HeyNext #9News #copolitics #cogov https://t.co/raaaecq56c
— Kyle Snark-Parody Account-Not Kyle Clark (@kyle_snark) November 16, 2022