Coronavirus - Roaring Fork Valley

The first cases of the omicron variant were detected in Pitkin and Garfield counties over the past week, and COVID-19 cases are on the rise as the Roaring Fork Valley heads into peak holiday season.

The fifth wave of the pandemic continues to sweep across the state, and local hospitals are once again being stretched thin. As regional hospitals in places such as Grand Junction and Denver fill up, Valley View Hospital in Glenwood Springs has seen an influx of patients in recent weeks.

The new mask mandate comes on the heels of the fifth recorded death from COVID-19 in Pitkin County since the pandemic began. Eagle County has recorded 30 deaths since the pandemic began, and Garfield County has recorded 57 deaths.

With summer tourism peaking and the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant, Aspen and the Valley are seeing an uptick in COVID-19 cases and local health officials are concerned.

Aspen locals know that it's gotten harder to afford a place to live. Now, a new study of resort towns in Colorado confirms that trend with data.

After a strange and uncertain winter for tourism in Aspen, business owners have their sights set on summer.This coming season could bring some much needed traffic to hotels and restaurants, but the shifting economic landscape will present some new challenges.

Carbondale-based artist Sylvia Johnson spent part of the pandemic working as a contact tracer in Garfield County. Her conversations with people who had COVID-19 became a source of inspiration, which she has now turned into a storytelling project.

Pitkin County’s COVID-19 incidence rate is the highest in Colorado by a wide margin. As a result, businesses are operating under “orange” level…

You can find an English-language version of this story here.Los latinos de los condados de Pitkin, Eagle y Garfield se vieron particularmente afectados…

Latinos in Pitkin, Eagle and Garfield counties have been especially hard hit by the pandemic. While they’ve made up a disproportionate number of COVID-19…