Eagle County public health officials said Tuesday they are investigating a cluster of COVID-19 cases among teens and young adults after at least 11 people tested positive for respiratory illness after social gatherings.
However, the Eagle County Department of Public Health and Environment said its contact-tracking investigators have found that some individuals and families are unwilling to isolate themselves in their homes or share details about events in which people They may have been exposed, information that health officials rely on to help prevent the spread of the disease in the community, according to a press release.
The announcement of the cases comes a week after local health officials announced an increase in cases in Boulder County after recent college parties, protests and travel. And last week, the number of new COVID-19 cases across the state increased for the first time since late April.
“The pandemic continues, the virus is still here and members of our community are still susceptible to infection,” Heath Harmon, director of the Eagle County Health Department, said in a statement.
“It is not about personal risk tolerance, it is about making decisions that help protect the community,” he said. “We need to coexist with this virus until a vaccine is available and do it in a way that helps limit its spread.”
The coronavirus cases appeared among people living in the Roaring Fork Valley and are between the ages of 16 and 18. The investigation into the group is ongoing and there is a possibility that more cases will appear in the coming days, according to the press release.
