EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) – Health department officials are explaining what would happen if the state decides to revoke its COVID-19 variance, which grants permission from the state for larger gathers.

El Paso County is just one of more than a dozen counties in Colorado — along with Chaffee and Custer counties — given a warning by the state health department that it could “lose its variance” if the number of new COVID-19 cases didn’t decrease within two weeks.

El Paso County reached the two-week mark from that warning on Monday — reporting 45 cases per 100,000 people over the 100-case threshold.

El Paso County’s most recent variance from the state increased the capacity for indoor restaurants and private venues to 175 people or 50% occupancy, whichever is fewer.

“It is our understanding that El Paso County is currently at risk of losing its variances, but is not at risk of action being taken that would be stricter than the current Public Health Order,” county health officials explained in a statement to KRDO.

The current public health order for the entire state allows indoor venues to have up to 100 people per room with a distance of six feet between parties.

Therefore, the only businesses at risk of losing customers if El Paso County’s variance is revoked are large venues consisting of one room that allows for more than 100 people with six feet of social distancing.

We’ll have more details on this story tonight on KRDO.