Summit County’s adoptable pets for the week of May 31, 2020

Call the shelter at 970-668-3230 with questions. The most recent list of animals available for adoption can be found via their website.

Note: The animal shelter is now open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Please visit http://www.summitcountyco.gov/animalcontrol for physical distancing protocols. 

Cat

LAINIE, 2 years, domestic shorthair, buff and white, spayed female 

Dogs

GECKO, 2 years, pit bull terrier mix, black and white, neutered male

MARKY, no age, black mouth cur mix, brown and white, unknown gender 

 MAVERICK, 7 years, Alaskan malamute and Siberian husky mix, tan and black, neutered male

With no vaccine in sight, experts say masks remain imperative in combatting coronavirus

The coronavirus pandemic has caused a number of changes to daily life, but none are as publicly visible as the requirement for people to wear masks to prevent the spread of the virus. 

In the Safer at Home order, Summit County Public Health had masks as one of the requirements for residents and visitors. Under the order, people must wear face coverings or masks any time they are in a building open to the public or if they were outside and a 6-foot distance from others is not possible. 

Nationwide, masks and face coverings have become a symbol of the pandemic, with people who believe the country should open up refusing to wear them at protests and in public. However, local doctors and officials maintain that wearing masks in public is as important to preventing the spread of the virus as any other effort. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control, one primary way the virus spreads is when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks and water droplets are transmitted to another person. Those droplets can travel around 6 feet. 

“A critical component to droplet precautions in the hospital setting are surgical face masks,”said Summit County environmental health specialist Seth Danner. “So, we’re using nonsurgical face masks for the public to prevent the spread of droplet transmission, which has the highest viral load.”

Danner said people should expect to continue wearing face coverings for the foreseeable future. It may take until a vaccine is developed or the county sees a significant drop in cases for the rule to be lifted.

“If overall we start seeing that folks are able to maintain 6 feet and we’re not in community spread, that might be a good indicator,” he said. “I don’t see it relaxing anytime soon.”

 

By wearing a face covering, people are protecting those around them more than they are protecting themselves. Every time someone with a face covering sneezes or coughs, the likelihood of water droplets reaching another person is greatly decreased. 

“It’s incredibly effective at preventing the droplet-sized particles, which are 5 to 10 micrometers, from leaving your breathing zone,” Danner said. “If two people can both prevent those droplet sizes from leaving their breathing zones, there’s, obviously, a far less chance of contracting any sort of disease.”

With the current pandemic there is a high prevalence of asymptomatic people who have the virus and are contagious. Those people may never know they have it. So Dr. Kathleen Cowie, chief medical officer at Summit Community Care Clinic, said community members should wear masks to protect each other.

“Wearing a mask yourself doesn’t necessarily protect you from getting coronavirus from another person,” Cowie said. “The mask really prevents us from giving it to other people when we don’t know that we may have the virus.”

Not all face coverings or masks are 100% preventative, however. Cowie said the more layers of fabric on a cloth face covering while it’s still breathable, the better. 

“For the general public, cloth masks are generally effective,” she said. “What you want to look for is that a cloth mask has a thicker layer, not just a thin layer. Thin layers of fabric, the virus can still potentially escape from that.” 

Face coverings should also cover the entirety of a person’s nose and mouth. 

“The best kinds of masks are ones that fit snugly or kind of comfortably around the nose and sides of mouth and sides of the face,” Danner said. 

Danner said another benefit of cloth masks is that they can be easily washed and machine dried. They should be routinely washed, depending on how often a person uses their mask, he said. 

“Anytime you believe that it’s soiled or hard to breath through, or anything like that, it should be washed,” he said. “We’re really encouraging folks to get a couple on hand.”

Face coverings have a psychological effect as well as a biological one. When people see each other wearing masks in public, it sends a message of support, Cowie said. 

“My wearing a mask isn’t necessarily protecting me from you, it’s protecting you from me,” she said. “By wearing a mask, I am saying ‘I care about you. You’re important.

Concerns about 2nd coronavirus peak loom as Summit County reopens for business

As our mountain resort communities wake from months of enforced hibernation, a palpable sense of relief can be felt among residents and visitors who are once again hiking trails, fishing rivers and letting their troubled minds wander across the great mountainous terrain of Summit County.

Now, they are also dining at restaurants, perusing shops and riding buses. The easing of public health restrictions might appear to signal that the worst of the pandemic storm is over and the county can fully get to work on rebuilding its battered economy.

But the world’s public health experts have been warning for weeks that the first wave of the pandemic is not over and that the virus is still very much active in our communities, even those with cases in decline. Concerns are mounting of not only a second wave in fall or winter, but a second peak of cases within the next few weeks or months that could lead to daily death counts similar to what was seen during the worst of the pandemic in April. 

This week, the U.S. reached the grim milestone of 100,000 COVID-19 deaths, a tally reached just four months since the first American case was recorded in Washington and two months after the nation reached the 1,000 death milestone.

After a resurgence of cases in China, the country has enacted new lockdowns for cities in its northeastern region, placing 100 million people under renewed restrictions. Other new outbreaks also have been reported in South Korea and Hong Kong, showing how this coronavirus can roar back with a vengeance, mirroring or even exceeding the COVID-19 caseload that overwhelmed hospitals across the planet over the past few months. 

And while there has been worry about a seemingly inevitable “second wave” of coronavirus infections this fall, the World Health Organization’s executive director of health emergencies, Dr. Mike Ryan, warned there is a more immediate threat of viral resurgence that could appear in the coming weeks and months, threatening to overwhelm health systems and even lead to more shutdowns.

“When we speak about a second wave, classically what we often mean is there will be a first wave of the disease by itself, and then it recurs months later,” Ryan said during a recent press conference. “And that may be a reality for many countries in a number of months’ time. But we need also to be cognizant of the fact that the disease can jump up at any time. We cannot make assumptions that just because the disease is on the way down, now it is going to keep going down, and we are getting a number of months to get ready for a second wave. We may get a second peak in this wave.”

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the head of the nation’s coronavirus task force, said during an interview with CNN that the assumption of the worst of the viral outbreak having passed is a dangerous one, given how slowly the virus incubates.

“One of the things that the people who are out there frolicking need to realize is that when you do that and you see no negative effect in one week, please don’t be overconfident,” Fauci explained. “The effect of spreading is not going to be seen for maybe two, three or even more weeks. That’s the reason why we encourage people to be prudent and take a careful look at the guidelines and, to the best extent possible, to follow them.”

Infectious disease experts have been horrified by scenes playing out over the past week, such as at the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri, where viral videos showed crowded pool parties teeming with young revelers ignoring public health guidelines. These parties have the potential to become “super spreader” events that rapidly spread the virus to other communities when visiting partiers return home, bringing their infection with them.

Public health experts are strongly cautioning places that are reopening and trying to dispel notions that summer heat will simply make the virus disappear like the flu usually does.

“A lot of people have put what I’d call a ‘flu lens’ on their expectations, World Health Organization coronavirus task force member Dr. Margaret Harris told NPR’s Morning Edition on Thursdsay. “They keep on thinking it’s seasonal.”

“But if you look around the globe, we’ve got countries in the middle of their summer and autumn having large, large outbreaks. So we’re not seeing a seasonal pattern. What we are seeing is, indeed, when people ease too quickly, that they do then see a rise in infections. So we certainly don’t say you have to be in lockdown, but we are saying ease carefully.”

As a resort community, Summit County and its businesses would have good cause to be thrilled to open up again. That zeal to attract visitors creates a strange dichotomy with the Colorado’s public health guidelines, which still “strongly advise” that Coloradans stay at home. 

Other American resort towns that opened for business earlier, like Bend, Oregon, were bracing for low turnout and little revenue over the Memorial Day weekend, given that the state still requested residents stay at home and cut business capacity down to one-third. 

As it turned out, even with the lowered capacity, the Bend Bulletin reported restaurants there making as much money as they did the previous Memorial Day.

“It was an absolute bonanza,” Anthony Avraam, general manager of the Pine Tavern in Bend, told the Bulletin. “We were busy from the moment we opened the door. We were turning people away.”

Similar scenes are playing out in resort towns, beach towns and other vacation destinations across America. Given the novel, unprecedented nature of the virus, it is still unclear when or if a second peak of cases would emerge during this wave or how prepared resort towns will be to deal with another surge. It is also unclear whether a surge would lead to another shutdown.

For now, Summit County — which has the distinction of having the first recorded COVID-19 case in Colorado back in March — will have to wait and see how this ever-evolving pandemic manifests itself over the coming weeks, while using physical distancing protocols, occupancy limits and contact tracing teams to mitigate viral spread.

In the meantime, local businesses will be trying to make as much hay as they can while the sun shines.

Frisco to open pedestrian promenade on Main Street, launch shop local campaign

 Frisco is about to open up, with a few twists.

The Frisco Town Council passed a pair of resolutions authorizing new economic relief efforts in town, including a temporary “pedestrian promenade” on Main Street, during a busy virtual meeting Tuesday night.

The move will allow local businesses to expand their operations into public areas and provide more space for customers to physically distance. Officials are hopeful the idea will help kick-start financial recovery for local businesses that have been hit hard by COVID-19 closures. 

“The basic premise is we’re trying to provide a public space to allow patrons, visitors and residents to spread out and utilize our shops, restaurants and other services on Main Street, without having businesses constrained to occupancy limits inside,” said Jessica Burley, a council member who helped develop the idea. “How can they turn their business inside out?”

Known as the Frisco Main Street Promenade, the project will limit Main Street to pedestrians and bicycles from Second to Sixth streets and allow local merchants to temporarily expand their operations into public patios, streets and parking lots. The town is also helping restaurants get state approval to sell alcohol in the new spaces. 

The Main Street reopening will begin in mid-June and will continue indefinitely as officials monitor progress.

In addition to the promenade concept, Frisco is launching a shop local campaign called “Love Frisco, Shop Frisco,” meant to promote consumer spending in town stores.

The town will help support the effort via a $100,000 injection into a community gift card program, which would essentially incentivize shopping local by providing subsidies to town shops. Residents will be able to purchase virtual gift cards worth $50 or $100 that are usable at Frisco businesses, and the town will cover 25% of the cost.

The net cost to the town after sales tax collection is expected to be about $70,000, but officials anticipate that providing the incentive will help spur consumer spending among residents and visitors who otherwise might be wary of discretionary purchases. The town believes the investment could result in an additional $325,000 in consumer spending — a major boon to businesses.

“The idea of this came as a way to stimulate the economy,” Town Manager Nancy Kerry said. “Similar to stimulus checks or other kinds of government investments in the local community, it’s to stimulate spending.”

In order to support the efforts, Frisco also will be temporarily providing local retailers and restaurants with free hand sanitizer and face coverings, hoping to remove barriers regarding protective equipment so businesses can focus on opening their stores to the public.

In all, staff said implementing all of the measures collectively would provide cohesive messaging regarding the town’s efforts to support its businesses in a safe, holistic way.

“It’s a strategy to fit all of these things together and an effort to continue the support this council has given the local business community,” Kerry said. “Like the business assistance program and the grants that have been given out, this is another phase, another strategy to help them be successful.”

Breckenridge passes resolution for pedestrian-only Main Street

Breckenridge Town Council on Tuesday gave a green light to close portions of Main Street to vehicle traffic so that it can serve as a pedestrian walkway.

While the council was somewhat split on the issue due to the low level of interest received from restaurants, members agreed to move forward. 

The resolution gives Town Manager Rick Holman the power to decide which businesses are eligible to expand into the street and what “terms and conditions” are necessary for businesses to use the street space during the closure. Holman also can determine the time frame and boundaries of the closure, which is planned for 200 N. Main St. to 400 S. Main St. Town Clerk Helen Cospolich said the closure of Main Street is planned to begin June 12 and to last for about eight weeks. 

The resolution cites a Colorado Revised Statutes section that gives the town the authority to temporarily close any portion of a highway or public street under the town’s jurisdiction to vehicular traffic during a specified period of time for “special local events” or civic functions where closure is necessary for safety. The resolution notes that in the wake of COVID-19, Town Council wants to “allow and encourage” businesses located on Main Street to temporarily use portions of the street to operate their businesses. 

Businesses owners that would like to participate should work with Holman to acquire a written agreement with the town, according to the resolution. The agreement requires that businesses provide the town clerk with proof of commercial general liability insurance and liquor liability insurance if alcohol will be served within the town’s right-of-way. The resolution also requires that the town is added as an additional insured party under the businesses’ commercial general liability insurance policy. 

The Main Street pedestrian walkway plan includes giving each participating restaurant 340 square feet of outdoor space, time limits with a cutoff at 9 p.m. each day and protocols for retail that allow businesses to display merchandise in front of their stores, Holman explained.

He said the town sent a message to about 30 eligible restaurants with liquor licenses to gauge the level of interest. The deadline for restaurants to express their interest in participating is Wednesday, May 27. But the day before the deadline, the town had heard from only 14 interested restaurant owners. Holman listed some of the concerns he has heard, which include the decrease in parking and an unfair advantage to restaurants that reside in the area as opposed to those that do not.

“I am disappointed in the number of restaurants out of the shoot that have said they would do it,” Mayor Eric Mamula said. “I think that’s a bit of an issue. … This was really a bone to throw to everybody, and if most or half don’t want it, I don’t know that we want to do this.”

Mamula added that the pushback the town has received on the idea is not unexpected but that he thought there would be more buy-in from restaurant owners. Council member Jeffrey Bergeron asked whether there could be a smaller closure instead, which Holman countered, saying the town then would hear complaints from business owners who get cut out. Mamula said another option would be to close Main Street to vehicular traffic and make it a pedestrian walkway for people to maintain social distancing, eliminating the outdoor dining piece.

“I feel like we have enough traction to give it a go,” council member Dick Carleton said. “We’ve always wondered what it would be like to close Main Street, and this is our chance. I think we do it.”

Council member Gary Gallagher also agreed to move forward, pointing out that while the plan will not work perfectly, the idea is “worth a shot” and “better than doing nothing.” Holman pointed out that this would cost the town about $20,000 in materials such as portable toilets. 

Mamula sat out the vote because he owns a restaurant on Main Street. The six council members voted to pass the resolution.

Colorado restaurants can reopen for in-person dining at 50% capacity Wednesday

 Gov. Jared Polis has updated the safer-at-home executive order to allow restaurants to open for in-person dining with limited capacity on Wednesday, May 27, according to a news release. The executive order is extended to June 1 and a public health order will be released Tuesday. Restaurants can reopen for in-person dining at 50% capacity of the posted indoor occupancy code limit but cannot exceed 50 people. According to the release, restaurants are encouraged to provide as much outdoor service as possible. Bars will remain closed, the release noted that these types of establishments that do not serve food will be evaluated in June. 

A three-page document detailing guidance for restaurants can be found here: Drive.Google.com/File/d/1_yyWSUnb40TKDBk9EcvYcSkOzhCDV8NA/view. The guidance asks restaurants to limit party sizes to eight people, reduce groups congregating inside or outside of the restaurant and to work with local authorities to expand space for outdoor dine-in service. 

The release also says that children’s day camps and youth sports camps can open on June 1, but overnight camps will be closed throughout June. Private campsites may open Monday, May 25, but if a county would like to keep campsites closed, county commissioners can consult their local public health agency and then notify the Colorado Department of Natural Resources and Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. State park campsites are already open.

Arapahoe Basin Ski Area to open Wednesday, other county variance requests denied

Whether you think it is smart or dumb, Arapahoe Basin will re-open this Wednesday.

 Arapahoe Basin Ski Area’s request for a partial reopening has been approved and will be effective on Wednesday. This was the only variance request from Summit County that was approved by the state. The requests to reopen short-term rentals and dine-in services at local restaurants were denied. 

The variance for A-basin to reopen allows the ski area to host a maximum of 600 skiers per day. Summit County Public Health may adjust this number if physical distancing requirements are unable to be met in any locations within the ski area, including parking lots and base areas. Skiers must register through an online reservation system and reservations will be able to be made at 7 p.m. 36 hours in advance of the intended ski day, with reservations opening at 7 p.m. Monday, May 25.

Those with reservations for a certain day must bring a printed confirmation and valid ID. Guests will be asked to show reservation confirmation before entering the parking lot. 

An operations plan to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 was submitted with the ski area’s application for a variance, which includes precautions and procedures surrounding reservations, lines, base area services, physical distancing enforcement, sanitation and employee training, PPE and symptom screening.

“There are a lot of people that are very excited to get back on the hill and back to do some skiing,” A-Basin COO Alan Henceroth said. “This is going to be a very different setup and will take all of us awhile to get used to it.” 

Henceroth said that the ski area will open with three lifts and will sell a limited number of day lift tickets — 30 per day — as the opening is mainly for pass holders of A-basin season and Any Day passes, Ikon passes and Mountain Collective passes. The mountain will be open everyday from 8:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. Reservations to ski or snowboard at A-Basin will be strictly required and those who do not have a reservation are urged not to show up, according to Henceroth’s blog. 

“People are going to come, we’re going to keep them spread out, we’ve redesigned our lift mazes and scanning and that whole system to keep people spread out further,” Henceroth said. “We’re not going to allow tailgating and gathering and partying. That’s not what this is about, that’s exactly what we’re trying to avoid. We have next season to party, we don’t have to do that now. We’re really focused on getting people skiing and riding and having a good time.”

Henceroth said that physical distancing will be enforced and that guests must wear facial coverings in designated areas, including in the restrooms, in the base area, in the lift line and through the scanning process. The lanes of the lift lines will be spread out and people will only have to be scanned once. Henceroth said the ski area will look different in that the only two things that will be open will be chairlifts and bathrooms, although he hopes the ski area can eventually phase in some food services and retail operations.

The three lifts that will open on Wednesday will be Black Mountain Express Lift, Lenawee Mountain Lift and Pallavicini Lift, which are all on the front side of the mountain. Uphill access will also open for uphill passholders on Wednesday from 4 p.m. to 8 a.m. Henceroth said the ski area plans to stay open for as long as they can, hopefully well into June.  

“This is an incredible opportunity we have and we’re all going to have to act responsibly to make this work,” Henceroth said. “And, everyone’s going to have to pitch in and keep their distance from each other, keep their face masks on where appropriate. Don’t show up if you don’t have a reservation and we could have a really good time, but we’re going to have to follow these rules to make it work.”

The ski area also urges people on their website to stay home if sick or high risk and notes that “this is not an experience suitable for beginners.” It is recommended that only experienced skiers and snowboarders come to the ski area at this time. 

According to a news release, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s denial of Summit County’s request to reopen short-term rentals and dine-in services was cited with concerns about the spread of the novel coronavirus in the county based on case data. The county appealed the decision after receiving unofficial notice on Saturday, but CDPHE leadership notified Summit County officials on Sunday that it would not change its decision regarding the denials.

Summit County’s adoptable pets for the week of May 24, 2020

                                                                      Cataloni

The following animals are available for adoption at the Summit County Animal Shelter. Call the shelter at 970-668-3230 with questions. The most recent list of animals available for adoption can be found via their website.

Note: In compliance with the public health order issued by the Summit County Board of County Commissioners that Summit County minimize social contact, the Animal Shelter will be providing modified service until further notice. The shelter facility will be closed to the general walk in public and volunteers. 

Cats

CATALONIA, 8 years, domestic shorthair mix, white and gray, spayed female   

LAINIE, 2 years, domestic shorthair, buff and white, spayed female 

Dogs

BALTO, 6 years, rottweiler and Catahoula leopard hound mix, blue merle and tan, neutered male 

GECKO, 2 years, pit bull terrier mix, black and white, neutered male

MAVERICK, 7 years, Alaskan malamute and Siberian husky mix, tan and black, neutered male