Message to Eagle County visitors from Public Health
June 25, 2020
by Heath Harmon, Eagle County public health director
Welcome to Eagle County!
Please read this important message from our Department of Public Health and Environment.
Dear Visitor to Eagle County,
We look forward to welcoming you to Eagle County! Whether this is your first visit or you’re returning for your annual trip to the high country, we want you to be prepared for what you can expect during your stay.
Because we have diligently followed public health protocols, our county is now open for tourism and recreation. Beyond the critical businesses, our retail stores, restaurants, lodging and outdoor recreational business are ready for your arrival. Each business has implemented a Social Distancing Protocol to decrease COVID-19 exposure risks for customers and employees. While we encourage you to take advantage of your stay here, we are still taking the coronavirus concerns very seriously and ask that you adapt to the same expectations of our residents.
To ensure you enjoy your stay while decreasing the risk to yourself or family, you should be prepared to follow the 5 Commitments of Containment while visiting Eagle County:
- I will maintain 6 feet of physical distance
- Keeping your physical distance from others is one of the most effective prevention measures.
- This includes any person who is not from your household or traveling group.
- I will wash my hands often
- Especially after visiting public settings, businesses, and before eating or touching your face.
- I will cover my face in public.
- Especially when entering an indoor public environment, like a grocery store or post office.
- Businesses are encouraged to require face coverings for all customers.
- Face coverings are not a substitute for maintaining physical distance.
- I will stay home when I am sick.
- Isolating yourself from others in your household will help protect them and limit the spread.
- Staying home also prevents the spread to co-workers, friends, or neighbors.
- I will get tested immediately if I have symptoms.
- Testing is a key strategy to help contain the virus.
- The earlier you know, the fewer people you will spread it to.
It is important to check for symptoms before you travel. If you have any symptoms consistent with COVID-19 in the 14 days prior to your trip, our public health order prohibits your visit to Eagle County. Many local lodging operators are implementing relaxed cancellation policies to help out should this occur and you need to cancel or delay your travel. Please check with your lodging operator to confirm their policies.
Although our community and local businesses are doing a lot to help reduce the risk of exposure to COVID-19, no public environment is completely risk-free. The commitments outlined above will help protect yourself and our community, both while you’re here and long after you’ve left.
If you develop illness during your stay, you will need to stay within your lodging unit and refrain from going into public unless you are accessing one of our local testing clinics. If you are confirmed with COVID-19 during your stay, you may need to extend your stay until you have completed 10 days of isolation. Similarly, if you have been exposed to someone confirmed with COVID-19, you may be required to extend your stay to complete a required quarantine of 14 days. In any instance, if you need to extend your stay this will be at your own expense.
Further information related to expectations for all people that live, work, visit or play in Eagle County can be found in our Eagle County Public Health Order. In addition, many important links for information can be found at ECEmergency.org.
Welcome to our beautiful community and thank you in advance for helping to protect yourself and our residents during your stay.
With Gratitude,
Heath Harmon
Director of Eagle County Public Health and Environment
