Skip to Main Content

Release Date: January 29, 2021

Boulder County 5 Star Certification Program Approved

Boulder County Gets Approval for 5 Star Business Variance Program

BOULDER COUNTY, CO: The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) has approved the Boulder County Administrative Committee’s application for the state’s Five Star variance program.

The Colorado 5 Star Certification Program is designed to allow certified businesses (inspected and compliant with the program’s criteria) to operate one level below the county’s current state COVID dial level if the county meets four specific benchmarks of COVID-19 impact in the county. For a business to qualify for the program, it must demonstrate that it has implemented all the required public health measures to help protect customers and staff from contracting COVID-19 and be inspected by the 5 Star program staff.

Currently, Boulder County metrics are in Orange on the state dial, which will allow 5 star certified and inspected businesses to operate at the capacity levels set under level Yellow, once the program is operational next week. The county COVID-19 metrics that are reviewed twice a week as part of the program’s ability to operate in the county are:
• A two-week incidence rate in the appropriate dial level for all of the past 7 days
• A two-week percent positivity in the appropriate dial level for all of the past 7 days
• Under 90% of regional ICU beds in use, and days of stable or declining hospitalizations in the past two weeks in the appropriate dial level.

The Boulder County 5 Star Administrative Committee applied for the program January 20, with support from Boulder County Public Health, Boulder County Commissioners, hospitals across the County, and law enforcement. According to the Boulder County 5 Star Administrative Committee, business applications for the program will likely open by Friday, February 5th, with inspections beginning the week of February 8th.

Information on how to prepare for the application and how to apply will be posted on Boulder County’s 5 Star Certification Program website - http://bit.ly/BOCO5STAR - starting February 2. This website is available in English and Spanish, and will provide instructional videos, sample inspection checklists, and resources for businesses interested in applying for the 5 Star program. There will also be a technical assistance webinar for businesses to learn about the process and ask questions on February 5th at 11am - http://bit.ly/5StarInfoSession.
For more information regarding the program, please visit: http://bit.ly/BOCO5STAR.


About Boulder Chamber: With more than 110 years of dedicated service to its members and the Boulder community, the Boulder Chamber’s innovative programs help local businesses succeed while sustaining an economy that preserves Boulder’s high quality of life, including its environmental and cultural assets. Together with its member businesses, the Boulder Chamber is building a smarter, more vibrant economy – sustaining Boulder’s position as a global capital of innovation and a thriving center of economic vitality. For more information, visit http://www.boulderchamber.com/.


About Longmont Economic Development Partnership: A 501(c)6 non-profit organization founded in 1981, Longmont EDP is funded with both public and private dollars. More than 120 private sector businesses join the City of Longmont, Boulder County, and Platte River Power Authority as our economic partners. Longmont Economic Development Partnership leads a comprehensive approach to building an economic ecosystem that not only supports, but champions businesses and their owners. From world-famous brewers to smart manufacturing plants, specialized business catalysts to world-class research facilities, our businesses in Longmont build an economy that champions growth, prosperity, and inclusion. Our newly launched economic development strategy, Advance Longmont 2.0, focuses on quality job creation and business investment. We activate a powerful civic infrastructure that identifies problems, creates innovative solutions, and implements these programs across partner organizations. For us, Advance Longmont means doing it together. Learn more at www.longmont.org.