Nyland Outdoor Common Areas and the "Safer at Home" Public Health Order

The short version is that the shift to the “Safer at Home” order changes very little as far as life at Nyland is concerned. Some businesses are opening, and some of us are able to begin working again. Perhaps the biggest change in Boulder County is that now, under the State order, people are “urged to wear non-medical cloth face coverings whenever in public.” This applies here at Nyland.

Both in the City of Lafayette and around Boulder County, playgrounds remain closed. Some recreational facilities such as golf courses and tennis courts, where social distancing is possible, have opened. All other facilities, such as public bathrooms, volleyball courts, and basketball courts, remain closed.

The Nyland Board of Directors’ previous announcement that the playgrounds, playing field, pavilion, volleyball and basketball courts are closed remains in effect, with one amendment: Gatherings of fewer than 10 people are now allowed in the pavilion, the playing field, and other open spaces at Nyland, as long as a) people maintain six feet of separation, and/or b) are members of the same household. The volleyball court and the basketball courts remain closed until further notice. The Board urges community members to wear masks in public in alignment with the state’s “Safer at Home” order.

The word “household” clearly has been subject to different interpretations. Some of us have immediate family members or significant others who do not reside here at Nyland but who visit. Others have chosen to effectively combine households here at Nyland when children play with each other, for example, or members of different households work together in close proximity. We acknowledge that there is no perfect definition of “household.” However, we ask that Nylanders understand that contact with each person outside the home where you live carries an additional risk to you — and to others. Here at Nyland, we have a number of people who are at high risk because of their age or medical conditions, or they care for people who are at high risk. We ask that you understand their concerns and please be considerate and conservative in your social interactions during this phase.

We know that people have different tolerances for risk, and different perceptions of the degree to which various behaviors put others at risk. Many of us have strayed from the public health orders and Nyland’s recommended safe practices already, by inviting people into our homes, allowing our children to play in close proximity to other children, and gathering in our yards and public spaces. As a Board, we can only ask again that everybody understands that there is still a killer on the loose, and we should still behave as if our lives — and our neighbors’ lives — depend on how we behave.

More if you want to read it:

While Colorado has seen indications that our efforts to “flatten the curve” are working, this deadly virus is still very much among us, and transmission continues to spread. There are still many unknowns about how the virus is transmitted, but this much is absolutely clear: People give the virus to other people through close contact. How close? Nobody knows exactly. Who is a carrier, who can have it and not have symptoms? Unclear. How long can it live on a park bench or a kitchen counter? Difficult to be sure. Children have been getting it, healthy adults have been getting it, and older people are hardest hit. People of all ages are dying from it. New symptoms and long-term effects from infection are being discovered. It’s not pretty, and we’re by no means through the “worst” of this pandemic, in Colorado or globally.

Yet life goes on, and we continue to do our best to prevent further spread of this disease, which has killed about 1,000 people in Colorado, over 80,000 in the U.S. and 300,000 worldwide. We can all agree that it sucks.

Still, there are signs that our “shelter in place” guidelines have helped. Caution and care are required to maintain this progress, and to ensure the ongoing well-being of our community, in particular those who are most vulnerable among us. As the state takes steps to return Coloradans to work, basic precautions remain in place here at Nyland, in accordance with what the State, Boulder County, and City of Lafayette are requiring as follows:

• Stay at home if you are feeling sick – self quarantine
• Continue to practice social distancing, maintaining a six-foot distance from others on our land, on trails, in parks, and while walking pets. This six-foot distance should be maintained with anyone not in your household.
• Limit travel to within your county of residence or employment as much as possible and recreational travel to no further than 10 miles of your residence.
• Wear a non-medical cloth face covering that covers the nose and mouth whenever in public.
• Social interactions to the greatest extent possible should be limited except as required to conduct necessary activities.
• Vulnerable Individuals, defined as follows, should continue to stay home:
1. Individuals who are 65 years and older;
2. Individuals with chronic lung disease or moderate to severe asthma;
3. Individuals who have serious heart conditions;
4. Individuals who are immune-compromised;
5. Pregnant women; and
6. Individuals determined to be high risk by a licensed healthcare provider

• Public gatherings of ten (10) persons or more are prohibited.

While this is a first step toward resuming our daily lives, the Nyland Board and the COVID Hub are monitoring the spread of COVID-19 and additional precautions may be necessary in the future.

You are invited to familiarize yourself with the Public Health and Executive Orders here:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WNrWhGf-8VytCBEuW5bmrSU613MrEkbD/view
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DxCYidCyYRK3XuQzEflnQ51ZnWCtuVOP/view