Local businesses respond to 70% of Coloradans getting COVID vaccinated

Currently, more than 2.9 million people in Colorado are fully vaccinated, which means more people are comfortable going to a local business.

NEW ON NEWS 5 AT 4 --ALTHOUGH THE COUNTRY MAY HAVEFELL SHORT ON MEETING PRESIDENTBIDEN'S GOAL TO GET 70 PERCENTOF PEOPLE VACCINATED BY THE 4THOF JULY-- COLORADO IS AMONG THESTATES TO REACH THE BENCHMARK.SO HOW ARE LOCAL BUSINESSESFEELING ABOUT THE STATE'SVACCINATION NUMBERS?OUR ASHLEY PORTILLO JOINS USLIVE FROM ANTELOPE RIDGE MEAD...WITH ANSWERS.ANTELOPE RIDGE MEAD OPENED ABOUTA WEEK AND A HALF AGO...SO I SPOKE TO THE CO-OWNERHERE...WHO SAID DESPITE OPENING A NEWBUSINESS DURING A PANDEMIC...THEY'RE HOPEFUL ABOUT THEBUSINESS' FUTURE...BECAUSE OF HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVEGOTTEN THEIR VACCINE SO FAR.DAN KESTERSON, ANTELOPE RIDGEMEAD: "IT SHOWS PROGRESS THATMORE PEOPLE ARE GETTINGVACCINATED." PROGRESS ANDHOPEFULLY ONE STEP CLOSER TONEARING THE END OF THEPANDEMIC...DAN KESTERSON, ANTELOPE RIDGEMEAD: "WE'RE REALLY EXCITED THATPEOPLE ARE GETTING VACCINATEDAND THAT THE NUMBERS ARE GOINGUP AND HOPEFULLY EVERYONE CANSTAY HEALTHY THIS SUMMERDAN KESTERSON IS THE CO-OWNER OFANTELOPE RIDGE MEAD...AND IN THE SHORT TIME THEBUSINESS HAS BEEN OPEN..DAN KESTERSON, ANTELOPE RIDGEMEAD: "IT'S BEEN INTERESTING, ITKIND OF COMES AND GOES, BUT WEMET A LOT OF GREAT PEOPLE ANDWE'VE HAD A GREAT TIME."CURRENTLY...MORE THAN TWO POINT NINE MILLIONPEOPLE IN COLORADO...ARE FULLY VACCINATED..WHICH MEANS MORE PEOPLE ARECOMFORTABLE...GOING TO A LOCAL BUSINESS...TERRI HAYES, TRI-LAKES CHAMBEROF COMMERCE: "JUST COMING INTOTHE OFFICE TODAY, I SAW MANYMANY PEOPLE OUT AND ON A MONDAYTHAT'S PRETTY UNSUAL INMONUMENT."TERRI HAYES IS THE PRESIDENT ANDCEO OF THE TRI-LAKES CHAMBER OFCOMMERCE...THE AREA...HAS MORE THAN 400 SMALLBUSINESSES OWNERS...WITH THE UPDATED NUMBERS...MANY...EXCITED TO RUN THEIR BUSINESSLIKE NORMAL AGAIN...TERRI HAYES, TRI-LAKES CHAMBEROF COMMERCE: "I FEEL THAT THISIS GOING TO GIVE THEM THECONFIDENCE TO ACTUALLY MAKEPLANS ON WHAT THEY WANT TO DOWITH THEIR BUSINESS, WHETHER ITSGROWING WHETHER ITS CHANGINGTHEIR PRODUCTS, ADD DIFFERENTTHINGS."BUT WHILE THE NUMBERS OFVACCINATED PEOPLE ARE GOINGUP...DAN KESTERSON, ANTELOPE RIDGEMEAD: "HAVING MORE PEOPLEVACCINATED MEANS THERE'S A LOTLESS CHANCE THAT THERE WILL BE ASHUTDOWN."THE WORDS SHUTDOWN ORLOCKDOWN...STILL ON MANY PEOPLE'S MIND...TERRI HAYES, TRI-LAKES CHAMBEROF COMMERCE: "I THINK THEIR HOPEIS THAT WE WONT HEAR THE WORDS"LOCKDOWN" ANYMORE."SPEAKING OF THE WORDS"SHUTDOWN'" OR "LOCKDOWN,"...THE CO-OWNER HERE SAYS IT'SALWAYS SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TOREMAIN IN THE BACK OF THEIRHEAD.FOR THAT...THEY'VE COME UP WITH A GAMEPLAN...TO MAKE SURE THEY CAN STILL SELLCANS AND BOTTLES MOVING FORWARD.ALASYN?ADLIBTHE CEO OF THE TRI-LAKES CHAMBEROF COMMERCE WHO YOU SPOKE TO...WORKS WITH SO MANY SMALLBUSINESSES IN NORTHERN EL PASOCOUNTY.WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER SIDE OFTHIS WHEN IT COMES TO GETTINGEMPLOYEES?SHE SAID RECENTLY...THERE'S BEEN A SHIFT INCONVERSATION.MANY BUSINESSES STILL STRUGGLINGTO HIRE PEOPLE...AS WE HEAD INTO THE BUSY TOURISTSEASON.MANY HAVE HAD TO SHORTERN THEIRHORUS...OR LIMIT THE DAYS THEY'RE OPEN.AWOFY AP N