Eagle County reports cluster of COVID-19 cases among young people

Eagle County public health officials said Tuesday they are investigating a cluster of COVID-19 cases among teenagers and young adults after at least 11 people tested positive for the respiratory disease following social gatherings.

However, Eagle County Public Health and Environment said its investigators who are performing contact-tracing have found some individuals and families are unwilling to isolate at home or share details about events where people may have been exposed — information that health officials rely on to help prevent the spread of disease in the community, according to a news release.

The announcement of the cases comes a week after local health officials announced a spike in cases in Boulder County following recent college parties, protests and travel. And last week, the number of new COVID-19 cases statewide rose for the first time since late April.

“The pandemic continues, the virus is still here, and our community members are still susceptible to infection,” said Heath Harmon, director of Eagle County’s health department in a statement.

“This is not about personal risk tolerance, this is about making decisions that help protect the community,” he said. “We need to co-exist with this virus until a vaccine is available and do so in a way that helps limit its spread.”

The coronavirus cases appeared among people who live in the Roaring Fork Valley and are between 16 and 18. The investigation into the cluster is ongoing and there’s a potential for more cases to appear in the next couple of days, according to the news release.

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