The color-coded state dial that guided radical shifts in daily life at restaurants and gyms during the pandemic expired on Friday — and with no local guidelines to take its place, the El Paso County community might soon feel more open.

But it will likely take time for businesses to adjust, and some social distancing rules could stick around at businesses’ discretion.

Still, for El Paso County Coroner Dr. Leon Kelly, who helped guide the public health response to the coronavirus locally for months, the shift to allow more gatherings is a moment that needs to be celebrated.

“I think we have earned the opportunity to move forward and live with much more hope in our lives,” he said.

The state restrictions that limited gatherings at restaurants, gyms and other public spaces were meant to help protect hospital capacity that is no longer at risk. Additionally, hospital staff needed to care for the highest risk patients like the elderly, many of whom have now been vaccinated, making this a good time to move forward, he said.

Some rules remain, including a mask mandate in place through May 16 and regulations on large gatherings, such as indoor events with more than 500 people.

However, for those who are vaccinated and no longer facing the risk of severe complications, gathering is safe, Kelly said.

“We have dramatically and drastically undersold the vaccines and how good they are,” he said.

El Paso County has fully vaccinated 18% of the population and 73% of those 65 and older. So, herd immunity, a key factor in slowing the spread of disease, has been largely achieved among older social groups in the community, he said.

It’s the smaller communities within the county that have decided not to get the vaccine, that will face the most risk from the virus, particularly next fall, he said.

“That is a major problem, and that’s why this thing is going to be with us for a very long time,” he said.

While rules relax, Kelly said he encourages customers to make good decisions and businesses to voluntarily keep precautions like social distancing that can slow the spread of disease among unvaccinated people. There are no downsides to those precautions, and businesses can use them as promotional tools, he said. Federal guidelines through the Occupational Safety and Health Administration also remain in place to guide employers.

Still, increasing occupancy in many venues such as restaurants, which had been limited to 50% capacity until Friday, could be a huge relief to some business owners, said Doug Price, president and CEO of Visit Colorado Springs.

Few state limits on outdoor gatherings is also going to make a big difference for venues such as Flying W Ranch heading into the summer season, he said.

But the changes are not likely to be immediate as businesses ramp back up, and he expects 6 feet of social distancing to remain the norm, he said.

“The customers out there and the visitors are going to have to be patient and understanding; not everybody is going to be fully staffed tomorrow,” Price said. The restaurant industry is facing a major labor shortage, he said.

Susan Edmondson, president and CEO of the Downtown Partnership of Colorado Springs, also said that while some restaurants changed their seating Friday morning to reflect the new rules, others will likely take time to make the changes.

“Every business approaches this differently, and some are preferring to keep the distancing and limited capacity for a while. It’s important that everyone respect the wishes of each individual restaurant,” she said.

She also expects the rise in customer demand will be a slow and growing wave, as more people become fully vaccinated and are eager to dine out.

Restaurant owner Cody Rilo expected to open her vegan bar, The Burrowing Owl, back up to 100% capacity on Saturday following the state order, despite some personal reservations that it could be a bit too soon. Some of the restaurant’s 13 tables had been closed because of state occupancy limits, she said.

“We are just going to do it and hopefully be able to make money and keep our employees employed,” she said.

Eric Brenner, chef at and owner of Red Gravy, said restaurants and customers would be better off with a phased opening of their spaces.

“I think just opening everything up is not ideal,” Brenner said. “There needs to be some consideration for people who aren’t comfortable being close to others yet.”

To that end, Brenner said he plans to keep half of the restaurant’s tables spaced six feet apart “for guests who want to feel that safety and comfort.” The chef also plans to open Red Gravy’s rear bar space to increase seating capacity, and is offering extended outdoor seating.

Brenner added that he was glad to learn that the mask mandate will remain in place.

“I think it’s great that they are keeping it,” he said. “It’s hard to require masks in the restaurant without the state and the county backing us up. We need their support, and I’m glad we still have it.”

One of the region’s largest recreation providers, the YMCA of the Pikes Peak Region, is planning a phased and cautious approach and expects to release more details on Monday, said Gloria Winters, the chief medical officer. She is hopeful the changes will help break through some feelings of isolation people have felt, she said.

“We are really excited that this is going to have a positive impact for the social cohesion component,” she said.

But she expects the changes will be slow to make sure residents feel safe, she said.

“We have been in our bubbles for so long, you don’t want to pop the bubble,” she said.

Smaller music venues will likely also see benefits since the new rules allow larger gatherings up to 500 people without a state variance. But it could be tricky because state rules still require 6 feet of distancing in those settings between vaccinated and unvaccinated people.

Geoff Brent, owner of The Black Sheep, a venue on Platte Avenue, said he saw the rule change as a minor step forward, but he expected to hold seated low-capacity shows as planned for at least another month.

He would like to wait until his staff is fully vaccinated and move more slowly to protect the safety of the artists and the customers and fully understand the new rules, he said.

“We’re not going to rush into throwing the biggest party,” he said.

The Gazette’s O’Dell Isaac contributed to this report.