Site-specific quarantines are likely to be the new approach to coronavirus outbreaks in Colorado, similar to one undertaken at a meat-packing plant in Weld County, Gov. Jared Polis said Monday.

Outbreaks of the virus will continue through community spread — people-to-people infection — but instead of having the entire state live under stay-at-home restrictions, specific sites will be quarantined for “as short of a time as possible,” Polis said in a Denver news conference.

His model for site-specific quarantines was the JBS USA facility in Weld County where more than 30 employees tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, last week. That approach mirrored comments Polis made Friday, in which he expressed a desire to attack the virus with a “scalpel” instead of a “mallet.”

The governor offered no further hints about what happens when the current stay-at-home order expires April 26 or what life in the state would look like after that, saying only that additional details would be offered a “few days” before the order ends and that social-distancing — staying at least six feet away from other people — would need to continue.

Colorado’s COVID-19 case total reached 7,691 and deaths have topped 300, up from the 7,303 cases and 290 deaths announced Sunday, Polis said. Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment data shows 308 coronavirus deaths in the state as of Monday. Two new COVID-19 deaths were reported in El Paso County Monday, bringing the total to 39, state data shows.

Polis called the state’s death total a “reflection point,” and warned “there are still many difficult days ahead.”

“Not everybody who contracts this virus is going to make it, but we want to give every Coloradan a fighting chance,” he said. “We want to make sure there’s a bed and oxygen there.”

In a letter addressed to first responders’ professional organizations across the state, Polis suggested triage protocols allow for some patients initially treated by paramedics or EMTs to stay at home, rather than be transported to a hospital.

Sicker patients may be transported to designated patient collection points that will serve as makeshift treatment facilities and others may be given a limited amount of care over the phone, Polis advised in the letter.

He also suggested the use of a computer-aided dispatch system to share information about confirmed cases of COVID-19 between first responders and local public health agencies. The system would allow for a process that would alert first responders to use enhanced safety protocols when responding to someone who may have been exposed to the virus.

He cautioned that although medical professionals say about 25% of the state’s population has been infected with the virus, the number is likely much higher and first responders should take precautions when responding to all calls.

He said an executive order would not help the state obtain more personal protective equipment for first responders, but that his staff is working to address “this pressing and urgent need.”

The governor sent a letter to Vice President Mike Pence last week requesting 2 million N95 masks, 4.4 million surgical masks, 720,000 gowns, 880,000 face shields, and 4.3 million pairs of gloves.

Thanks to the stay-at-home order, Colorado is seeing a leveling-off of coronavirus patients admitted to hospitals and of deaths, Polis said.

The state is “doing fine” when it comes to hospital capacity, he added, stating that non-coronavirus hospital traffic is down because of the halting of elective procedures such knee replacements and back surgeries, as well as fewer car crashes and a dampened impact of the flu from the stay-at-home order.

Since the public health order went into effect March 26, El Paso County Public Health officials have received about 2,100 inquiries from residents about the measure and compliance, or the lack of it, agency spokeswoman Michelle Hewitt said.

The largest categories of inquiries were about retail food facilities (15%), non-essential retailers such as craft stores, sporting goods and retail car sales (14%), facilities and specialist shops including churches, gyms, groomers, and vape and hookah shops (12%) and outdoor activities (11%). Hewitt did not specify which retailers were mentioned in calls from the public.

“Public Health’s preference is not to single out particular businesses or entities. Our focus is really on providing education and proactive outreach to help achieve voluntary compliance,” Hewitt said in an email Monday.

Additionally on Monday:

– Polis said he is considering an executive order that would allow county officials to limit open burning, except for necessary agricultural purposes. The ban would be in place for at least 30 days with the possibility of being renewed. Fire chiefs had requested a six-month fire ban.

– The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment released some race and ethnicity data from reported cases of COVID-19. The percentage of coronavirus cases in Colorado is statistically higher for Hispanic, Black/African American, and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander races compared to the overall population distribution, according to the data that represents 75% of reported cases in the state. Read more here.

– Three Colorado Springs Utilities employees have tested positive for the coronavirus and are recovering at home. The company has tested 16 employees among its workforce of 1,199, chief executive Aram Benyamin told the Colorado Springs City Council Monday. Nine employees tested negative and four tests are pending, he said. None of the infected employees worked with the public, officials said.

– The Fort Carson Fire Department said one member tested positive for COVID-19. Firefighter training was postponed indefinitely as of April 5.

The Gazette’s Olivia Prentzel contributed to this article.