“It wasn’t a political statement. It was more of a necessity.”

Chagolla’s choice came down to the difference between life in a wheelchair and life on her feet. Chagolla, 57, has severe rheumatoid arthritis, and she pays $1,650 in health insurance each month to afford medicine that keeps her walking.

“If I don’t have that, within eight weeks, I would be wheelchair-bound,” she said.

Chagolla runs one of several Colorado restaurants defying a state order to keep eateries closed to in-house diners until further notice, as the novel coronavirus continues to affect the state: Officials have reported more than 20,000 confirmed cases and 1,009 virus-related deaths as of Wednesday morning, though the rate of newly reported cases has nearly leveled off statewide.