Longmont Mayor Changes His Mind On Ordinance Focused On Weld County & COVID-19
LONGMONT, Colo. (CBS4) – The mayor of Longmont is backing off a plan to ask for an ordinance that would make it unlawful for any hospital (or healthcare provider) to provide medical services to any resident of a county or municipality whose elected officials have refused to comply with the governor's emergency orders.
The idea came as Weld County Commissioners said the county would not enforce the new health orders from the state.
"When I called out our neighboring county and its elected officials for publicly refusing to enforce the law, I did so out of concern for all of Longmont's residents who are impacted by the poor decisions of some individuals and the public officials who are failing to do their duty to uphold the laws that are being put in place to protect us all, regardless of party loyalty, political conviction, or county of residence," Mayor Brian Bagley said in a new statement on Wednesday night.
It's believed even if Longmont passed an ordinance, federal law requiring patients to be treated and a recent executive order from Polis would supersede the ordinance, allowing people to seek treatment wherever needed.
The Colorado Hospital Association Spokesperson told CBS4, "We are concerned as this appears to be a political issue when this is a time we need Colorado to come together and stop the spread of this virus. Our communities are dependent on it and our healthcare system is dependent on it. We have to stop the spread of this virus."
"Longmont is a better city for its diversity and the inclusion of portions of two counties within its municipal boundary. My comments were not intended to exclude any of our residents, but rather to shine a light on the importance of acting in a unified way to protect our healthcare systems, and to keep our community healthy and our businesses open," said Bagley.