SUMMIT COUNTY, Colo. (KDVR)– Summit County Public Health Officials announced Friday morning that the Slopeside Condominiums complex is where Colorado’s first confirmed coronavirus patient stayed.
The Slopeside Condominiums are located in Keystone, at 1211 West Keystone Road.
According to a release from Summit County officials, the unit has not been occupied by any guests since the infected person’s departure.
One cleaning worker entered the unit approximately 23 hours after the infected individual checked out. The worker’s risk of having contracting the virus is considered to be very low, according to Summit County Officials.
According to Summit County officials, the first patient is a California man in his 30s. He was visiting Summit County.
The man spent time in Italy in mid-February, Polis said. One of his travel companions during that trip tested positive for the virus.
On Feb. 29, the man flew to Denver International Airport, rented a vehicle and traveled to a condo in Keystone. He did not show symptoms at the time, Polis said.
The governor said the man was in Summit County for outdoor activities. He skied at Vail and Keystone.
The man was spending time with his fiancee and two friends. The friends are Denver residents.
The friends and fiancee are currently in quarantine.
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On March 3, the man developed symptoms and went to Saint Anthony Summit Medical Center in Frisco.
Polis said the man was later taken via private vehicle to the Denver metro area so he could be at a lower elevation.
Officials said the man is recovering in isolation in Jefferson County, but did not provide details as to exactly where. He will remain in isolation until cleared by public health officials.
Following the release of this information, Fox31 spoke to skiers hitting the slopes at Keystone Saturday.
“I was not aware of that, that’s a little terrifying but I feel like we are good about personal hygiene,” skier Andrew Knedler said.
While Knedler didn’t know about the case, he tells Fox 31 it wouldn’t have stopped him from taking his children to Keystone Saturday.
Others who had heard about it, say the news and crowded slopes aren’t a big enough threat to stay home.
“I wasn’t too bothered I get here in the morning, keep my gloves on don’t tend to have lunch,” skier Gary Symes said, adding “I think you are probably safer here than you are most places.”
Keystone’s owners, Vail Resorts, declined an interview with Fox31 but referred us to the following statement:
“We have been made aware of one presumptive positive case of coronavirus (COVID-19) in Summit County, Colo. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) informed us that the person skied at Keystone Resort and Vail Mountain between Feb. 29 and March 2, while he was asymptomatic. He developed symptoms on March 3.
Transmission from asymptomatic people is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“Summit County Public Health informed us that the individual stayed in the Slopeside Condominiums complex during his stay in Keystone. The unit is not owned or managed by Vail Resorts. We manage the building’s Homeowners Association, which oversees the maintenance of all common areas. We have followed all guidance from Summit County Public Health regarding the cleaning and disinfecting of all common areas. DPHE reiterated this morning that the risk to the general public is low. We are in contact with Summit County Public Health and the CDPHE and will continue to follow their guidance and recommendations. The health and wellbeing of our guests and employees is our top priority and we will continue to take all appropriate precautions. We have asked all employees to follow the recommendations from the CDC. Our resorts are fully open and operating normally.”
The second case is an elderly woman from Douglas County who recently traveled internationally. She is isolated at her home, “per CDC guidelines,” the CDPHE said.
