FREMONT COUNTY — Fremont County health officials announced the county would be moving into Level Orange: High Risk on the state's COVID-19 dial Friday.
The move will take effect at 12 a.m. Friday, impacting capacity limits.
“We do know these restrictions place an additional burden on our businesses and our community,” Fremont County Commissioner and Board of Health Chairman Debbie Bell said in a release. “We have taken that into consideration when moving to orange instead of red, which is much more restrictive. We deeply appreciate everyone’s continued efforts and cooperation in helping spread the slow of this deadly virus.”
For a county to operate within the Level Orange: High Risk level on the COVID-19 dial, the county would have to have a 15% positivity rate or less, 175-350 cases per 100,000 people, and greater than two new COVID-19 hospital admissions per day.
As of Tuesday, the county said it is seeing a two-week incidence rate of 2,258 per 100,000 cases, a positivity rate of 11.3% and a stable hospitalization rate for 10 days
Under this dial level, restaurants will operate at 25% capacity indoors with 6 feet between parties outdoors per guidance and bars will be closed.
For a break down of capacity on Level Orange,click here.
Before the move on the state COVID-19 dial was announced, the Royal Gorge Route Railroad, one of the county's attractions, announced three of its staff members tested positive for the virus.
BREAKING: Fremont County moves to Level Orange restrictions. I’ll have the latest on what the means for one of the area’s biggest tourist attractions coming up on @KOAA AT 5 and 6. pic.twitter.com/ckazE70dGA
— Spencer Humphrey (@SHumphreyTV) December 2, 2020
The railroad said anyone who visited on Nov. 18, 19 and 20 may have been exposed and are advised to reach out to their local health department for testing and guidance.
The Royal Gorge Route reopened in mid-May and has been operating at 25% capacity under certain COVID-19 protocols, such as employee temperature checks, parties distanced six-feet apart or more inside train cars and sanitization.
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