A new method of reporting positive COVID-19 cases has slingshot Pitkin County’s incidence rate to one of the highest in the state and nation Tuesday, with the current omicron surge expected to last as many as two more weeks.
After the number of Aspen Valley Hospital staff with either COVID-19 symptoms or a positive test for the virus nearly doubled overnight, the facility’s change in status was inevitable Wednesday.
The first two cases of the omicron variant have been detected in Pitkin and Garfield counties in the last week and COVID-19 cases are on the rise as the Roaring Fork Valley heads into peak holiday season.
“We anticipated that it was only a matter of time before we would see the omicron variant in our county,” Pitkin County’s epidemiologist said Monday. “Although the delta variant still currently accounts for most cases in Pitkin County and Colorado, research suggests that the omicron variant is more transmissible . and will likely become the predominant variant