The City of Aspen Declares Emergency to Request Resources to Mitigate COVID-19 Spread and Impacts in Community
Contact: Mitzi Rapkin, Communications Manager, City of Aspen, 970-920-5082 or 970-319-2791 and mitzi.rapkin@cityofaspen.com
ASPEN, CO. – March 12, 2020 – The Aspen City Manager has implemented a Declaration of Local Disaster Emergency effective immediately. This is a proactive measure to slow the potential spread, impacts, and damage of COVID-19 and will assist the City of Aspen in securing regional, state and federal resources. Ten individuals in Aspen have tested positive for COVID-19. The complete declaration is attached. While the City Manager’s authority is to implement this for 7 days, the Council will be holding a special meeting to consider an extension of the Declaration on Friday at 3 p.m.
The following closures and restrictions will be in place for the public beginning at 5 p.m. today:
• Wheeler Opera House is closed until March 31 and may be extended.
• Aspen Recreation Center, Red Brick Gym, Aspen Ice Garden, Golf simulator, and Red Brick Center for the Arts are closed until March 31 and may be extended.
• Non-mandatory advisory board and commissions will stop meeting through April 15.
• Classes in the Aspen Recreation Center, Red Brick Gym, and Red Brick Center for the Arts will not run until April 15.
• The City will be issuing no new event permits until April 15. The City will be reevaluating event permits that have already been issued, which may be subject to further consideration.
Aspen City Hall and other City offices remain open for essential services. The City strongly encourages customers and residents who do not need to conduct business with the City in person to use email, phone, and web-based communication. The City’s website at cityofaspen.com has a complete listing of all staff phone numbers and current email addresses.
Mayor Torre is encouraging the community to work together during this time. “We are all in this together,” he said. “We know that preventative hygiene and minimizing social gatherings will significantly reduce the impacts long term in Aspen. I want the community to know how much the City of Aspen cares about our resiliency and strength. The short-term closures have only one goal in mind – to mitigate the possible spread of this disease and to try to avoid a longer-term risk. I am asking your cooperation in proactively implementing these measures.”
Any large gatherings in facilities not owned and operated by the City of Aspen are under the purview and guidance of Pitkin County Public Health.
All Aspen City offices have implemented Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommendations for cleaning the facilities.
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