STREAMBOAT SPRINGS — Routt County has been moved into level orange plus of the state’s dial framework, allowing restaurants to open at 25% capacity immediately, according to a letter sent from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to Routt County.

“At this point in time, Routt has had a sustained decline in cases and has still not exceeded orange metrics for percent positivity or hospitalizations,” wrote Jill Hunsaker Ryan, executive director of CDPHE. “Based on this data, if you so choose, you may revise your mitigation plan.”

Routt County has so chosen.

Restaurants are allowed to open immediately at 25% capacity or 50 people whichever is smaller. The move to orange plus, which allows some but not all of the restrictions in place in level orange will be in place. The county will resubmit a mitigation plan to CDPHE by Dec. 22.

“It is really really great news,” said Commissioner Tim Corrigan. “I am really happy that we found a way to get our restaurants open sooner rather than later.”

The surprise move came after a day of county officials of trying to pull together an additional public health order to allow restaurants to open by Monday night. An emergency meeting notice was sent out earlier Friday to discuss implementation of another public health order.

Then late Friday, state officials sent the county a letter informing them of the decision to move them to orange.

“In all the years I have been in public service, I have never been through anything like I have been through in the last 24 to 48 hours,” said Corrigan, reflecting on the wild swings of the day.

The meeting scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday will still take place, but commissioners will no longer be exploring amending the local public health order.