Colorado Ski Area COVID Outbreaks Growing | Westword
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COVID Outbreaks at Ski Areas Growing

Summit County leads the state in outbreaks this week.
Photo by Harrison Moore on Unsplash
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The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment's January 20 report on COVID-19 outbreaks around the state offers reason for optimism: The 72 new entries is the lowest total since October 14, a week before Colorado hit triple digits for the first time.

But even as the number of new outbreaks is dropping in most categories, it's on the rise for ski areas, with a slew of fresh outbreaks at resorts and the counties in which they're located.

The CDPHE considers an entity an outbreak after two or more COVID-19 cases among residents, staffers or other people connected to a specific location are confirmed within a fourteen-day period, or two or more cases of respiratory illness with an onset of symptoms within a fourteen-day period are paired with at least one additional COVID-19 diagnosis. The vast majority of businesses and facilities identified as outbreaks remain open while working with the department to monitor symptoms and prevent future infections.

Another benchmark indicated in the January 20 survey: Active outbreaks fell below the 1,000 mark, after months above it. Currently, 982 outbreaks remain under investigation and 2,352 are deemed resolved, for a total of 3,334. By comparison, the January 13 overview listed 1,042 active outbreaks and 2,220 that were resolved, adding up to 3,262.

Even the state's most high-profile outbreaks, at In-N-Out Burger locations in Aurora and Colorado Springs, are starting to plateau. The Aurora store hasn't added to its 74 staff infections, and just one more positive case was registered in Colorado Springs, for a total of 95 cases.

As usual, most of the latest outbreaks occurred at health-care facilities such as assisted-living and skilled-nursing centers — 27 over the past seven days. But just six K-12 schools joined the roster, the lowest amount since the fall.

A notch lower, at five outbreaks, is the Outdoor Entertainment/Rec category, owing mainly to the spread at various ski areas. Included are Copper Mountain guest services and parking operations, ticket scanning at Keystone, a generalized reference to Monarch, and lift operations at Breckenridge — a town that's seeing a surge of novel coronavirus reports. Outbreaks have been confirmed at Breck Terrace, described as employee housing; the Breckenridge Police Department; and Peak 8 Properties, a nearby hotel/lodge.

In all, Summit County, where Breckenridge, Copper Mountain and Keystone are based, registered eleven new outbreaks; that's the most for any county this week, including the much more populous Denver and El Paso counties. Breckenridge alone has at least four active outbreaks, as well as eleven that have been resolved, with two active and nine resolved in relation to Keystone.

Additional outbreaks of note include another Kroger grocery store (a City Market in the northwestern quadrant of the state), Bradford Hall at the Colorado School of Mines, a Larimer County Nike store, and the second outbreak related to a social gathering in Routt County. The party is definitely over by now.

The following rundown boasts 75 entries — the 72 just added plus three more whose listings have been tweaked by the CDPHE — along with the date when the outbreaks were first identified and the number and type of people impacted.

1. Alpine Living Center (020410): January 2021, Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, Adams County, 1/4/2021, 2 staff cases
2. Altavita Memory Care Center (23H130), Healthcare, Memory Care, Boulder County, 1/13/2021, 1 resident case, 1 staff case
3. Banning Lewis Preparatory Academy, Middle School, School, K-12, El Paso County, 1/14/2021, 1 staff case, 2 attendee cases
4. Bonaventure of Thornton (23O534): January 2021, Healthcare, Assisted Living, Adams County, 2 resident cases, 1 staff case
5. Breck Terrace, Building D, Other, Employee Housing, Summit County, 1/6/2021, 3 staff cases
6. Breckenridge Lift Operations: January 2021, Outdoor Entertainment/Rec, Summit County, 12/30/2021, 2 staff cases
7. Breckenridge Police Department, Law Enforcement, Other, Summit County, 1/11/2021, 3 staff cases
8. Brookdale Greenwood Village (0204W6): December 2020, Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, Arapahoe Coun ty, 12/30/3030, 3 staff cases
9. Bruce McCandless Veterans Community Living Center (020636): January 2021, Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, Arapahoe County, 1/14/2021, 2 staff cases
10. Buena Vista Roastery, Restaurant, Other, Chaffee County, 1/15/2021, 2 staff cases
11. Canyon View Vineyard Church, Religious Facility, Mesa County, 1/2/2021, 7 staff cases, 10 attendee cases
12. Colorado Department of Personnel and Administration North Campus, Other/Indoor Workspace,  Denver County, 1/11/2021, 2 staff cases
13. Colorado School of Mines, Bradford Hall, College/University, Jefferson County, 1/18/2021, 3 resident cases
14. Colorado Springs Police Department Tactical Enforcement Unit, Law Enforcement, Other, El Paso County, 2 staff cases
15. Community Intersections Active Healthcare, Facility for Developmentally Disabled (Outpatient), Adults With Disability (Day Program), Arapahoe County, 1/5/2021, 1 staff case, 2 attendee cases
16. Copper Mountain Guest Services/Copper Sports Center, Outdoor Entertainment/Rec, Summit County, 12 staff cases
17. Copper Mountain Parking/Base Operations, Outdoor Entertainment/Rec, Summit County, 1/3/2021, 3 staff cases
18. Creative Foam: January 2021, Non-Food Manufacturer/Warehouse, Larimer County, 1/18/2021, 4 staff cases
19. Delta House (231113), Healthcare, Assisted Living, Delta County, 12/21/2020, 17 resident cases, 10 staff cases
20. Dillon Valley Elementary School: January 2021, School, K-12, Summit County, 1/7/2021, 2 staff cases
21. Downhill Dukes, Restaurant, Sit Down, Summit County, 1/3/2021, 4 staff cases
22. Downtown Vineyard Church: December 2020, Religious Facility, Mesa County, 12/26/2020, 1 staff case, 15 attendee cases
23, Garden Square Westlake (2303C0): January 2021, Healthcare, Assisted Living, Weld County, 1/12/2021, 7 resident cases, 4 staff cases
24. Grace Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center of Glenwood Springs (020889), Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, Garfield County, 1/16/2021, 3 resident cases
25. Graceful Hearts Assisted Living (2304BG), Healthcare, Assisted Living, Arapahoe County, 12/24/2020, 5 resident cases, 1 staff case
26. Grand Junction Regional Center House 3, Healthcare, Facility for Developmentally Disabled (Inpatient), Mesa County, 12/31/2020, 5 resident cases, 3 staff cases
27. Holly Creek — Independent Living, Healthcare, Independent Living Facility, Arapahoe County, 12/7/2020, 3 resident cases, 6 staff cases
28. Inner Balance Active Healthcare, Alcohol/Drug Abuse Treatment (Outpatient), Holistic Treatment, Larimer County, 1/11/2021, 2 staff cases
29. Intervention Community Corrections Services — Weld, Correctional, Other, Community Corrections, Weld County, 1/13/2021, 3 resident cases, 2 staff cases
30. Keystone Ticket Scanning, Outdoor Entertainment/Rec, Summit County, 1/6/2021, 2 staff cases
31. La Luna Dairy, Farm/Dairy, Larimer County, 1/19/2021, 3 staff cases
32. Life Care Center of Greeley (0203TL): January 2021, Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, Weld County, 1/19/2021, 2 staff cases
33. Lighthouse Emergency Shelter, Homeless Shelter, Montrose County, 1/7/2021, 5 resident cases
34. Living Stone Christian Church, Religious Facility, Mesa County, 12/17/2020, 2 staff cases, 3 attendee cases
35. Longmont Regent, Healthcare, Independent Living Facility, Boulder County, 1/10/2021, 10 resident cases, 2 staff cases, 2 resident deaths
36. Mama Lea's Rocking Horse Ranch, Child Care Center, Jefferson County, 1/13/2021, 2 attendee cases
37. Mark's Outdoor Sports, Retailer, Alamosa, 1/15/2021, 4 staff cases
38. Master's Touch Homes (2304L5), Healthcare, Assisted Living, Arapahoe County, 1/3/2021, 1 resident case, 1 staff case
39. Metro Wastewater Reclamation District, Other, Wastewater Utility, Weld County, 1/15/2021, 3 staff cases
40. Mile High Behavioral Healthcare — Comitis Crisis Center, Homeless Shelter, Arapahoe County, 1/4/2021, 24 resident cases, 4 staff cases
41. Mile High Behavioral Healthcare Aurora, Day Resource Center, Homeless Shelter, Adams County, 1/7/2021, 12 resident cases
42. Monarch Ski Mountain, Outdoor Entertainment/Rec, Chaffee County, 1/14/2021, 14 staff cases
43. Nike Factory Store, Retailer, Larimer County, 1/13/2021, 4 staff cases
44. Offen Petroleum, Other, Fuel Distributor, Adams County, 1/13/2021, 4 staff cases
45. Peak 8 Properties, Hotel/Lodge/Resort, Summit County, 1/9/2021, 5 staff cases
46. Penrose St. Francis Health Services — NICU Department, Healthcare, Acute Care Hospital NICU Department, El Paso County, 11/10/2020, 10 staff cases
47. Pepcol Manufacturing by Darling Ingredients, Food Manufacturing/Packaging, Adams County, 1/13/2021, 3 staff cases
48. PIC Place, Healthcare, Outpatient, Montrose County, 11/21/2020, 8 staff cases
49. Primrose School at DTC: January 2021, Child Care Center, Arapahoe County, 1/13/2021, 2 staff cases, 1 attendee case
50. Primus Aerospace, Non-Food Manufacturer/Warehouse, Aerospace Company, Jefferson County, 1/13/2021, 14 staff cases
51. Pueblo Regional Center Administration Building, Office/Indoor Workspace, Pueblo County, 12/4/2020, 11 staff cases
52. Rio Blanco County Road & Bridge, Office/Indoor Workspace, Rio Blanco County, 1/8/2021, 3 staff cases
53. Rocky Mountain Metal Container: January 2021, Non-Food Manufacturer/Warehouse, Jefferson County, 1/4/2021, 5 staff cases
54. Serenity Education and Day Treatment, Child Care Center, Arapahoe County, 1/13/2021, 3 staff cases
55. Sevens Restaurant, Restaurant, Sit Down, Summit County, 1/9/2021, 2 staff cases
56. Sierra Grande School, School, K-12, Costilla County, 1/18/2021, 1 staff case, 2 attendee cases
57. Social Gathering — Routt: January 2021, Social Gathering, Routt County, 1/11/2021, 7 staff cases
58. Summit County Preschool, Child Care Center, Summit County, 1/11/2021, 1 staff case, 2 attendee cases
59. Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies: January 2021, Non-Food Manufacturer, Jefferson County, 1/13/20221, 4 staff cases
60. The Colorado Springs School, School, K-12, El Paso County, 1/13/2021, 3 attendee cases
61. The Goddard School of Louisville, Child Care Center, Boulder County, 1/7/2021, 5 staff cases, 5 attendee cases
62. The Myron Stratton Home (230560), Healthcare, Assisted Living, El Paso County, 1/16/2021, 2 staff cases
63. The Periodic Table, Restaurant, Sit Down, Routt County, 1/14/2021, 3 staff cases
64. The Suites at Holly Creek Care Center (02D456), Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, Arapahoe County, 1/12/2021, 3 resident cases, 1 staff case
65. Trumpet Behavioral Health Fort Collins, Healthcare, Facility for Developmentally Disabled (Outpatient), Larimer County, 1/15/2021, 2 staff cases
66. Ty's House (23R990), Healthcare, Assisted Living, Denver County, 1/19/2021, 2 staff cases
67. UCHealth Auxiliary Support Building, Office/Indoor Workspace, Non-Clinical, Arapahoe County, 1/13/2021, 8 staff cases
68. Vista View Care Center (02R315): January 2021, Healthcare, Skilled Nursing, Adams County, 1/4/2021, 5 resident cases, 4 staff cases
69. Wally's Speed Shop, Auto Restoration Service, Larimer County, 1/18/2021, 3 staff cases
70. Welchester Elementary School, School, K-12, Jefferson County, 1/15/2021, 3 staff cases, 2 attendee cases
71. West Star Aviation, Other, Aircraft Maintenance and Restoration, Mesa County, 11/6/2020, 21 staff cases
72. Western Gravel Inc, Office/Indoor Workspace, Montrose County, 11/20/2020, 7 staff cases
73. Wheat Ridge Regional Center — House I, Healthcare, Facility for Developmentally Disabled (Inpatient), Jefferson County, 1/12/2021, 2 staff cases
74. White House Pizza, Restaurant, Other, Garfield County, 1/8/2021, 10 staff cases
75. City Market #414, Grocery Store, Routt County, 1/13/2021, 4 staff cases
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