Test results from 13 Australians quarantined in Aspen for possible exposure to the COVID-19 virus probably won’t be available until Wednesday, an official said Tuesday.
The samples from the 13 people, who were traveling as a group, were driven to Denver on Monday night and likely were not tested until Tuesday morning, said Alex Burchetta, chief deputy of operations at the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office.
The results of those tests won’t be known for 24 to 48 hours, so they likely won’t be disseminated until Wednesday, he said. And while results might become available Tuesday, the time frame being provided to local officials indicates that is unlikely, Burchetta said.
A Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment official confirmed Tuesday that the tests from the group of Australians are “in process,” though she said the department doesn’t know when the results will be available.
“We will only report the number of positive cases,” said Vanessa Bernal. “Thank you for your understanding as we are responding to this rapidly changing situation.”
The group of 13 was exposed to the COVID-19 virus by a member of their travel group, who tested positive for the virus when she returned home to Australia, according to a CDPHE news release Sunday. The 13, who are all Australian, are being quarantined in Aspen.
Eighteen total people were in the Australian group, though five did not exhibit symptoms, are not under quarantine and have not been tested, officials have said.
Burchetta said that once CDPHE knows the results of the 13 tests, they will notify Pitkin County and Aspen officials. Within 60 minutes of that notification, CDPHE will issue a news release with the results, he said.
Local officials, however, want to release the results, so the information will be provided to local media soon after the state makes the notification, Burchetta said.
“We are doing our best to provide as much information as we can,” he said.
Local officials have said they don’t know where the 21-year-old Australian woman went in the Aspen area, what airline she flew or any other details of her stay in town. They have also not released the exact dates she and her group were in town visiting.
Burchetta stressed that neither local officials nor CDPHE investigators yet know where exactly the Australian woman who tested positive went in Aspen. Still, it’s unlikely that information will be provided to the public for fear of ruining the reputation of particular businesses, unless it’s a matter of public safety, Burchetta said.
Bernal, the CDPHE spokeswoman, confirmed that the Aspen contact investigation is ongoing.
If any of the 13 test positive for the virus, they will likely be treated and continue to be isolated where they are currently staying, Burchetta said, noting that 80 percent of COVID-19 cases are mild. Those with complications will be treated appropriately, though he declined to say whether they will be admitted to Aspen Valley Hospital.
Burchetta said he did not know of any other people in Aspen or Pitkin County who have surfaced with symptoms that require testing.