NIAID-RML via AP
Thirteen people traveling with a 21-year-old Australian woman who tested positive for the coronavirus after visiting Aspen are in isolation here after exhibiting symptoms, though their test results won’t be available for 24 hours, officials said Monday.
An investigation by the Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment revealed the woman came into contact with at least 18 people, though five are not symptomatic, haven’t been tested and are not in isolation, said Karen Koenemann, Pitkin County public health director.
All 18 are Australians who traveled together to Aspen, she said. The 13 are being cooperative and have canceled their future travel plans and will remain in Aspen in self-isolation for 14 days, she said.
Pitkin County public health officials gathered swab samples Monday from the 13 symptomatic people and sent them by courier to the state health department in Denver, Koenemann said. It will take 24 hours to find out results from those tests, she said.
CDPHE in Denver is the only place in the state that can test for the COVID-19 virus. The agency’s capacity is 150 tests per day, Koenemann said.
The agency alerted public health officials Sunday that the 21-year-old Australian woman visited Aspen and tested positive for virus when she returned home. Pitkin County public health officials don’t know what airline she flew, where exactly she went in town, how many people she contacted, where she was infected or when she tested positive, Koenemann said.
CDPHE is leading the investigation into the woman’s contacts, she said.
Pitkin County officials are setting up a local hotline for virus updates though it was not yet available Tuesday afternoon, said Tracy Trulove, city of Aspen spokesperson. Meanwhile, locals who subscribe to Pitkin Alerts can text “cvirus” to 888777 for local virus updates.
People who are feeling symptomatic should call the CDPHE at 303-692-2700 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. seven days a week. The statewide hotline is 877-462-2911.
Information on the virus is also available on the Pitkin County Public Health website and the agency’s Facebook page.