Officials from the Tri-County Health Department are cautioning residents and visitors that the pandemic risk in the Denver Metro area has not passed, despite the recent lifting of restrictions.

Tri-County Director John Douglas cites the emerging Delta variant as cause for concern. The variant is responsible for the vast majority of new cases and hospitalizations across the United States, and it has caused some communities and regions to reinstate measures such as indoor mask mandates. Experts agree that the variant is much more contagious than other strains of COVID-19.

Neither Tri-County nor Governor Polis is considering any new public health mandates right now, but they and other officials are urging unvaccinated people to get the shot. Failing that, the unvaccinated should take precautions such as avoiding large public gatherings, wearing masks indoors, social distancing and hand washing to protect themselves and those around them.

Tri-County’s “level clear” public health order is set to expire on August 16, and the agency will weigh COVID and Delta trends between now and then when considering whether to extend or amend the existing order.