{"id":1320208,"date":"2020-05-26T20:04:27","date_gmt":"2020-05-27T02:04:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/?p=996681"},"modified":"2020-05-27T10:05:08","modified_gmt":"2020-05-27T16:05:08","slug":"garfield-county-to-ask-again-on-reopening-of-hot-springs-other-tourist-attractions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/local-news\/garfield-county-to-ask-again-on-reopening-of-hot-springs-other-tourist-attractions\/","title":{"rendered":"Garfield County to ask again on reopening of hot springs, other tourist attractions"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure class=\"wp-block-image p402_hide\">\n<div class=\"caption-container\">\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"689\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/05\/covidfollo-gpi-052720-1024x689.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-post-image\" alt srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/05\/covidfollo-gpi-052720-1024x689.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/05\/covidfollo-gpi-052720-300x202.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/05\/covidfollo-gpi-052720-768x516.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/05\/covidfollo-gpi-052720-1536x1033.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/05\/covidfollo-gpi-052720-2048x1377.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"><\/p><figcaption><strong>Miner&#8217;s Claim waitress Desi Kirkpatrick takes a tray of drinks out to a table during dinner hours on Tuesday evening in downtown Silt.<\/strong><br \/><em>Chelsea Self \/ Post Independent<\/em><\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>The Glenwood Hot Springs Resort is ready to implement its COVID-19 reopening plan.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s just waiting for the go-ahead from state officials to do so.<\/p>\n<p>Same for Iron Mountain Hot Springs, the Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park and other area tourist attractions.<\/p>\n<p>For now, though, they remain idle after the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) over the weekend granted all but one of the variances requested by Garfield County to begin reopening businesses that have been shut down or severely limited since mid-March.<\/p>\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col\" readability=\"6\">\n<div class=\"row gspi-donation gspi-donation-mobile p-0\" readability=\"7\">\n<div class=\"col-xl-4 p-2\">\n<div data-bg=\"url(https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/03\/PI-logo-white.png)\" class=\"p-0 mt-2 mb-2 h-75 text-center rocket-lazyload\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/03\/PI-logo-white.png\" class=\"logo m-0 p-0 invisible\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><h3 class=\"d-inline mr-3\">Support Local Journalism<\/h3>\n<p><button class=\"btn d-inline\" type=\"button\" onclick=\"handleDonationButtonClickMidArticle()\">Donate<\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The county was granted the ability to allow the reopening of restaurants, gyms and fitness centers and places of worship at 50% capacity. However, a request to allow tourist attractions to reopen at 30% capacity was denied.<\/p>\n<p>In a two-page reply to the county, the CDPHE gave no explanation for its decision on the latter, other than that the opening of tourist attractions statewide will be revisited on June 1.<\/p>\n<p>Garfield County commissioners will meet Wednesday to discuss the county\u2019s public health policies related to the COVID-19 response, and may formally ask again if tourist attractions could be allowed to open before that time.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe filed our plan three weeks ago,\u201d Hot Springs Director of Operations Kevin Flohr said. \u201cIt\u2019s over 70 pages long and very, very detailed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOurs is a lot different \u2026 because we have all these separate businesses under one umbrella,\u201d he said, referring to the Hot Springs Lodge, the pool, health club, spa, grill and retail shop.<\/p>\n<p>The plan involves reopening at 30% capacity with strict social distancing guidelines in the pool, on the deck, in locker rooms and other locations, Flohr said. The newly completed improvements, including additional restrooms on the west side of the property, will help accomplish that, he said.<\/p>\n<p>One-way walks zones have also been marked in just about every location around the pool, in the lodge, in the retail shop and in the locker rooms. Facemasks are required everywhere except when people are in the pool, he explained. And, the pool deck itself has been painted with squares where sets of two lounge chairs are to be spaced 6-feet apart.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo. 1 priority is our employee safety training,\u201d Flohr said. \u201cEvery single employee has gone through a training program.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>From personal safety and guest safety, to the difference between cleaning and sanitizing, even how to kindly but assertively remind people about safety protocols \u2014 it\u2019s all been covered, he said.<\/p>\n<p>Steve Beckley, who co-owns Iron Mountain Hot Springs and the Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park, said during a county commissioners meeting on Tuesday that he, too, was disappointed the state did not explain its decision to deny the reopening of tourist attractions.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMultiple other hot springs are open in state,\u201d he noted, referencing the Salida and Mt. Princeton hot springs resorts. Royal Gorge, with its gondola similar to the Adventure Park\u2019s, is also now operating under a Chaffee County variance.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThese all sound very similar to my operation, so my question is, \u2018how is someone else open, and we\u2019re not?&#8217;\u201d Beckley queried.<\/p>\n<p>For his part, the plan to reopen the Caverns and Adventure Park calls for limiting capacity to between 30% and 50%, whatever the state will approve, restricting the number of people who can be in a gondola car and establishing ticket purchase times for customers to reduce crowding at the ticket window.<\/p>\n<p>The Iron Mountain Hot Springs would be limited to 40% capacity on a reservation-only basis. Guests could change in the locker rooms, Beckley previously explained, but would use pool-side cubbies instead of lockers.<\/p>\n<p>Garfield County Public Health Director Yvonne Long said during the Tuesday meeting with commissioners that some restaurants have already reopened at half-capacity under the approved variance, all with operating plans on file with the county.<\/p>\n<p>Some are waiting to reopen later this week in order to have staffing and food supply orders in place, she said.<\/p>\n<p>Christian Harra, owner of the Miner\u2019s Claim Restaurant in Silt, said he had over 127 reservations for Tuesday night,&nbsp;\u201call spaced out,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>The restaurant was completely shut down for five weeks and started doing takeout orders on April 22.<\/p>\n<p>The town of Silt leased Eighth Street to Harra for a few months in order to accommodate additional outside seating.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe town of Silt has been absolutely wonderful,\u201d Harra said. \u201cThey\u2019ve been phenomenal. I\u2019ve got, essentially, another dining room at this point.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s been tough serving plastic boxes,\u201d Harra added. \u201cWe\u2019re just trying to bring a little life back into the world here.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As of Sunday, there had been a total of 134 confirmed or probable cases of COVID-19 in Garfield, including some newer cases that trended over Mother\u2019s Day weekend, Long said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s a pretty good indication what may happen, or not, after this past weekend,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>Garfield County hospitals also released their latest COVID-19 data on Tuesday. Valley View Hospital in Glenwood Springs reported it had collected another 123 specimens for testing since last Thursday, and had confirmed three new cases since then and had one new hospitalization.<\/p>\n<p>Grand River Health in Rifle had collected another 69 specimens for testing since the last report and also reported three new confirmed cases, but no new no new hospitalizations.<\/p>\n<p><em><a href=\"mailto:jstroud@postindependent.com\">jstroud@postindependent.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Post Independent reporter Matthew Bennett [mabennett@postindependent.com] also contributed to this report.<\/em><\/p>\n<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/news\/garfield-county-to-ask-again-on-reopening-of-hot-springs-other-tourist-attractions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">via:: Post Independent<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Miner&#8217;s Claim waitress Desi Kirkpatrick takes a tray of drinks out to a table during dinner hours on Tuesday evening in downtown Silt.Chelsea Self \/ Post Independent The Glenwood Hot Springs Resort is ready to implement its COVID-19 reopening plan. It\u2019s just waiting for the go-ahead from state officials to do so. Same for Iron [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[160],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1320208","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-local-news"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-09-03 21:18:52","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KSKE Ski Country","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1320208","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1320208"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1320208\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1320211,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1320208\/revisions\/1320211"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1320208"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1320208"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1320208"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}