On Monday evening, Grand County Public Health (GCPH) and Winter Park Resort (WPR) released a joint statement regarding a COVID-19 outbreak among resort employees. In declaring the outbreak, it allows for more state resources to be pulled in to aid with suppressing COVID activity in the WPR employee group. WPR, GCPH and Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE) will continue to monitor the outbreak until two incubation periods (28 days) have passed with no new outbreak-related COVID-19 positive cases.

Through case investigations, it has been determined that these cases have not been traced back to transmission through interaction with visitors but, rather, from social gatherings outside of the workplace and congregate housing. WPR has worked closely and been transparent with state and local public health authorities since the onset of the pandemic and, in recent weeks, to navigate these dynamic circumstances. WPR has an onsite testing site that they have managed since December and has consistently utilized GCPH testing sites as deemed necessary.

Throughout the past few months, WPR has implemented robust contact tracing among employees which has helped GCPH and a CDPHE contact tracing support team has been enlisted as needed during this outbreak. WPR has also enlisted a CDPHE epidemiology/hygiene consult to further investigate changes that could be made that could suppress COVID activity among employees.

CDPHE and WPR are proactively enacting protocols that allow more state resources to be used in aid of suppressing COVID-19 activity in the WPR employee group, including increased testing and this announcement. WPR, GCPH and the Grand County Board of Health (BOH) will utilize all local and state resources in order to address these cases and support the community.

In closing, the message was clear. “It is important to remember that it is every individual’s personal and professional responsibility to make the right decisions and hold each other to the safest standards possible. Please continue to take preventative measures to protect yourself and others,” officials urged.

For the latest COVID-19 information, visit co.grand.co.us/COVID19.