Coloradans Urged To Maintain COVID Safety Measures Ahead Of All-Star Game

DENVER (CBS4) - For many, the announcement that the Major League Baseball All-Star Game will have a capacity crowd was an eyebrow raising moment and a sign restrictions on public life could ease in the coming weeks.

"It's been a long year, and I can think of nothing more energizing to help advance our recovery and boost our economy," said Denver Mayor Michael Hancock at a press conference Tuesday morning.

While the economic impact could reach over $100 million, the potential packed Coors Field didn't seem to bother Hancock or Gov. Jared Polis.

"There are really no concerns from that front. Everybody will have been able to be vaccinated by then. The state is pulling back on restrictions in mid-April. Many parts of Colorado will be targeting mid to late May for that," Polis said. "As we get back to normal, continue to wear a mask, avoid social gatherings. This game is in July so there's no concern about that, but what we care about is the next few weeks, the next month," Polis said.

"I'm still very optimistic, and it's in our hands here in Denver and throughout Colorado to continue to stay and do the things we have to do so that come July we're fully ready to be at full capacity. This is right on time and on schedule with what we expected anyways with regards to our capacity building and vaccination schedule," Hancock said.

Medical experts agree if vaccinations continue to increase and cases can fall, the summer will be a return to life before the pandemic.

"I think it's something we should be aiming for and I think there are ways we could potentially try to get to that point," said Dr. Michelle Barron the Senior Medical Director of Infection Prevention at UCHealth.

It's possible health restrictions and capacity requirements could ease even before the All-Star Game. Dr. Barron says that's going to take Denver to buy in to maintaining safety measures for a few more weeks.

"It's still really important to wear your mask, wash your hands, social distance, these are all layers of protection we have that we can use toward that goal of opening up society more freely. We're getting to some potentially exciting times. Summer is always beautiful and wonderful in Colorado, let's make some effort to get there," she said.