One of the people who tested positive is a member of the Denver Country Club.
One of the eight people who have tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Colorado is a member of the Denver Country Club.
The member last visited the club on Feb. 26 and began to have symptoms late last week, club spokesman Andy Boian said Sunday. The man, who is also father to a student at St. Anne’s Episcopal School, was one of six people to test positive for COVID-19 in Colorado on Friday, bringing the total number of presumptive positive cases to eight in the state.
Boian said the Denver Country Club, located on East First Avenue, took various precautions after learning about the member’s positive test.
“We have sanitized every inch of the club, we have informed all employees and staff of the strict adherence to CDC protocol of washing hands, staying away from work if you feel any symptoms, and we are being liberal about those who don’t feel well and want to stay home; they are told to stay home,” he said.
COVID-19 mainly spreads when an infected person coughs or sneezes, and those who are within 6 feet of an infected person are most at risk. Those who test positive for the disease are required to self-quarantine and remain isolated from others until public health officials determine it’s safe for them to reintegrate.
The country club member did not visit the club after becoming symptomatic and also did not visit hightraffic areas of the club, Boian said. Denver Country Club remains open for business as usual, he added.
“We feel very confident the club is very clean,” he said.
The club member is one of two cases of COVID-19 reported in Denver County, and authorities have determined that neither of those patients visited anywhere where they could expose a significant number of people after they became symptomatic. St. Anne’s Episcopal School sent students home early Friday after learning of the father’s positive test in order to do a deep clean over the weekend; classes will return as normal on Monday.
Other cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Douglas, Eagle, El Paso and Summit counties. All positive tests are considered presumptive until verified by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Most cases in Colorado have so far been connected to international travel, and health officials said Friday that there was no immediate need for Colorado residents to disrupt their routines by staying home.
The CDC is urging people to use basic hygiene to lower the risk of infection, like handwashing, hand sanitizers and disinfectants. The agency suggests people avoid touching high-traffic surfaces in public areas, like elevator buttons, handrails and door handles, and suggests that people make an effort to avoid crowded areas with poor ventilation.
The agency also recommends residents keep extra food and medicine on hand in case residents need to isolate themselves.
Typical symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, coughing and shortness of breath, according to the CDC. Those who think they might be infected should call their regular physician.
For more information on the virus, call 303-389-1687 or 1-877-462-2911, email COHELP@RMPDC.org, or go to cdc.gov or colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/2019-novelcoronavirus.