Denver Mayor Michael Hancock ordered a partial opening of the city’s emergency operations center Monday as the number of cases of those who have contracted the new coronavirus rose globally.

Locally, the number residents presumed to have contracted the COVID-19 respiratory disease caused by the virus remains at two, Hancock said. However, eight residents who had close contact with those two people are now under quarantine in the city, he said.

None of those eight people are showing symptoms of the virus, said Bob McDonald, executive director of Denver’s Department of Public Health and Environment.

There are now nine presumptive cases of COVID-19 statewide.

The pair stood in the center, within the basement of Denver’s City and County Building. Matt Mueller, director of Denver’s Office of Emergency Management, joined them. Surrounded by banks of computers, dry-erase informational boards and hanging placards listing different city services.

The center will house 20 people now, said emergency management spokesperson Loa Esquilin-Garcia. Under full operations, it holds 90.

The center has four main focuses, Mueller said:

Public health and safety and protective measures

Public messaging and communications

Economic impacts to the city, businesses and residents

Continuity of government operations

But as the center ramps up operations, Hancock and McDonald reiterated a need for most Denverites to go about their lives normally, albeit washing their hands more often and taking a few extra sanitary precautions. Risk for the general public remains low and city officials are working to balance a proactive prevention approach while maintaining city services and reducing fear or panic.

To that end, McDonald’s office today will order all restaurants in Denver to post public health directives in their dining rooms and restrooms to remind patrons and employees to wash their hands, Hancock said.

“Let me just pause for a second and remind everyone that the city is in full operation,” Hancock said. “I thought about it this weekend, all that’s going on around the globe, but this city still hosted tens of thousands of people at the Oprah Winfrey event at the Pepsi Center. Today we have over 26,000 people in our city for a volleyball tournament and we are expecting other events to continue to occur.”

At least one high profile cancellation already has hit Denver, however.

While the mayor said he didn’t expect the new handwashing reminders to hurt local businesses, he also described Denver as an “entertainment city” and noted that if people skip dinner, events and more because they fear the virus, the city will inevitably take an economic hit.

“If people don’t go to the restaurant… we don’t get that back,” he said. “That’s revenue that’s lost forever.”

At the moment, Hancock said there are no discussions about canceling Denver’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade later this week.

City officials already are discussing whether employees can work from home and additional precautions, should they be necessary, Hancock said.

In addition, McDonald said he and others are discussing how to protect some of the city’s most vulnerable, like those experiencing homelessness. If they’re unable or unwilling to move to a shelter, McDonald said crews are providing hand sanitizer, maps to sinks they can use and more.

McDonald asked for residents to exercise caution and remain cognizant of their surroundings, wash their hands frequently — especially before meals — and practice social distancing. Anyone feeling ill should remain in their homes and away from crowded areas, he said.

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