“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 (circulating in the next several weeks).”
Pitkin County’s incidence rate of COVID-19 has dropped from triple to double digits in recent days, though a sixth county resident died of the virus Sunday.
On the heels of a federal announcement Tuesday clearing the way for young kids to receive the Pfizer vaccine, local officials are planning a series of clinics at public schools in Pitkin County in the near future to provide those vaccinations.
While Aspen’s upcoming winter season will contain echoes of last winter’s COVID-19 mitigation strategies, vaccines and booster shots will likely allow for a simpler set of guidelines this time around.