FAQ

Q: Are masks required?

As of February 22, 2022, universal masking is not required in indoor public settings, or school and childcare settings, however well-fitted masks (Espanol) are highly recommended for anyone 2 years and older in indoor public settings including schools, child care facilities, and when carpooling.

As of February 22, 2022, masks are still required, per federal mandate, when riding in a school bus or public transportation.
Masks are required for persons who have tested positive for COVID-19 when in public settings during days 6-10 of isolation and quarantine, as indicated in the updated CDC isolation and quarantine guidance (Espanol).

Q: Do I have to wear a mask when I am outside?

A: No, individuals are not required to wear a mask outside. Pitkin County Public Health strongly recommends that individuals who are unvaccinated or who are at risk for severe COVID-19 disease continue to wear a mask when in outdoor crowded areas or in outdoor large gatherings of individuals, and maintain physical distancing. Crowded areas and large gatherings of individuals include but are not limited to venues, event areas, sports events, fairs, festivals, parades, graduation ceremonies or wedding receptions. 

Q: Will guests be required to wear masks when in line at an outdoor business?

A: No, individuals are not required to wear a mask outdoors. Unvaccinated people are encouraged to wear a mask when interacting with people outside their household, inside or outside. 

Q: Do restaurant servers need to wear masks on outdoor patios?

A: No, restaurant servers are not required to wear face coverings when serving customers on outdoor patios. However, consider implementing a policy around mask wearing when serving outside, especially if not all employees are vaccinated or if vaccination status is unknown among all employees. For more information about best practices in restaurants, review the Aspen Institute’s Safety First guidance, section “Reducing COVID Risks in Restaurants.”

Q: What should a transit provider do if a customer tries to get on the bus and says they have a health condition and cannot wear a mask, face covering or face shield? 

A: A transit provider should arrange separate transportation for the person or make some other reasonable accommodation to provide transportation for the person, but the person should not be allowed on the bus. Please note that there is no exception for wearing a mask for fully vaccinated individuals on the bus or other public transportation or transport hubs.

Q: Who is considered a youth?

A: Any individual under age 19 is considered a youth

Q: When should I consider getting tested for COVID-19? What symptoms would I be exhibiting?

A: You should consider getting tested if you meet any of the criteria below:

• Have symptoms of COVID-19.
• Had close contact (within 6 feet for a total of 15 minutes or more) with someone with confirmed COVID-19.
• Have been asked or referred to get testing by their healthcare provider, local or state ​health department.

Please visit our testing page for more information about how to get tested HERE.

You could exhibit a wide range of symptoms of COVID-19 that range from mild to severe including:

• Fever or chills
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Fatigue
• Muscle or body aches
• Headache
• New loss of taste or smell
• Sore throat
• Congestion or runny nose
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea

Q: Can we carpool? 

A: We are encouraging people not to carpool. If you can’t use an individual vehicle, steps to follow include: use fresh air through vents or windows, do not use air recirculation mode, bring hand sanitizer, reduce car capacity by 50%, ride to work with the same people, passengers sit in the back, passengers should wear cloth masks when more than 1 person is in the car, disinfect car at the end of the day or after different people use the car.

Q: Are Business Safety Plans still required?

A: No, this form is not required for businesses to complete. However, we still recommend businesses adopt evidence-based practices, where they see fit.

Q: Are Event Safety Plans still required?

A: Event Safety Plans are no longer required by Public Health, but will continue to be available as a COVID-19 Event Safety Plan to all event planners to implement Public Health best practices. Pitkin County Public Health will continue to review the plans and provide feedback with the hopes that we can support your event planning efforts.

Q: Are hotel shuttles considered public transportation?

A: Yes, hotel shuttles are considered public transportation. For more information about the federal mask order when on public transportation, please see our mask guidance page.

Q: What are the capacity limits and social distancing requirements for Pitkin County?

A: There are no capacity or social distancing requirements. Recommendations to consider these measures will be based on risk.

Q: Where can I find sector-specific guidance?

A: Visit the Colorado Department of Health & Environment Guidance by Sector page to see recommended COVID-19 guidance your industry should consider implementing.

Q: Is carpooling allowed?

A: Yes, carpooling is allowed. Please consider implementing best practices, such as providing hand sanitizer, limiting the vehicle’s occupancy whenever possible, ensure all passengers wear non-medical cloth face coverings when in a vehicle containing more than one person, maximize the ventilation by opening windows, and disinfect all high-touch areas of the vehicle. 

Q: Will indoor self-serve buffets be allowed?

A: Indoor self-serve buffets are allowed. However, consider eliminating multi-use utensils and implement touchless self-service wherever practicable.

Q: What is the guidance for plexiglass at buffets? Checkout stations and hostess stands?

A: Barriers are recommended specifically for work situations where staff have the potential to come in contact with people known, or suspected, to be infected with COVID, or where there is high turnover and infection status of personnel is unknown.

Q: What are the farmers’ market Covid-19 requirements for vendors?

A: There will be no requirements for vendors. Consider reviewing the Colorado Farmers Market Association 2021 Recommendations for Farmers Markets

Q: “I Think I have COVID-19”

A: You might have COVID-19 if you have:

• ANY of the following: fever of 100.4°F or higher, cough, shortness of breath, loss of taste or smell, fatigue, body aches, headache, sore throat, chills, diarrhea, nausea, runny nose, congestion, stomach pain, or vomiting.

Call your doctor to get a referral to be tested at Aspen Valley Hospital (AVH) or visit our testing page here for additional testing sites available in Pitkin, Eagle, or Garfield County. 

When symptomatic, help prevent the spread of COVID-19 by:

• Staying home except to get medical care
• Separating yourself from other people (including others in your household)
• Monitoring your symptoms
• Wearing a cloth covering over your nose and mouth if you must be around other people
• Cleaning your hands often
• Disinfecting frequently touched surfaces
• Avoiding touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands
• Covering your coughs and sneezes

Q: I tested positive for COVID-19: 

A: Isolate (stay home) until it’s safe to be around others. You may discontinue isolation when the following conditions are met

• 24 hours with no fever, without the use of fever-reducing medications AND
• Other symptoms have improved (for example, cough, shortness of breath), AND
• 5 days have passed since symptoms first appeared

If you had no symptoms but tested positive for COVID-19, stay home until 5 days have passed since the test was administered.

You will receive an email from Pitkin County Public Health within 3 days of your positive test result. This will include a survey to gather information about your illness, a list of people you were in close contact with as well as resources you may need to safely isolate (e.g., food/medication delivery, mental health supports). Contact tracing is a key strategy to preventing the spread of COVID-19. Pitkin County Public Health staff will inform your close contacts that they may have been exposed (without the use of your name), so the contact can monitor for symptoms and separate themselves from others in case they become ill. This conversation will be confidential.

During isolation: 

• Do not go to grocery stores or other public places (food deliveries and other supports can be found on our get help page and/or discussed with the Disease Investigation staff who calls you) 
• Do not use public transportation
• Do not go to work. Working from a home-based office is permitted
• Separate yourself from other people and animals in your home
• Clean your hands often
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands
• Cover your coughs and sneezes

We realize that the above requirements may be difficult for many. To minimize the negative effects, we have compiled a list of resources that may provide mental health support, as well as support acquiring groceries and housing for isolation. 

Resources available in English y Español

Q: I think I was exposed to someone with COVID-19:

A: Follow the CDC’s Quarantine guidance.

COVID-19 symptoms include:

• Fever or chills
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Fatigue
• Muscle or body aches
• Headache
• New loss of taste or smell
• Sore throat
• Congestion or runny nose
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea

Until the end of your quarantine/Isolation period:

If you have symptoms, immediately self-isolate and contact your local public health authority or health care provider. Wear a mask, stay at least 6 feet from others, wash your hands, avoid crowds, and take other precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Avoid contact with high-risk individuals.

During quarantine:

• Do not go to grocery stores or other public places (food deliveries and other supports can be found here and/or discussed with the contact tracing staff who calls you) 
• Do not use public transportation
• Do not go to work. Working from a home-based office is permitted
• Separate yourself from other people and animals in your home
• Clean your hands often
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands
• Cover your coughs and sneezes

We realize that the above requirements may be difficult for many. To minimize the negative effects, we have compiled a list of resources that may provide mental health support, as well as support acquiring groceries and housing for isolation. 

Resources available in English y Español

If you develop symptoms, call your doctor to get a referral to be tested at Aspen Valley Hospital (AVH) or visit our testing page here for additional testing sites available in Pitkin, Eagle, or Garfield County. 

Q: Do I need to quarantine if I have been vaccinated?

A: Close contacts are those who had close contact (within 6 feet) for more than 15 minutes (regardless of whether or not masks are worn) with someone diagnosed with COVID-19 while that individual was contagious (two days before diagnosis as well as for all days on which the case was symptomatic).

Follow the CDC’s Quarantine guidance.

Q: I do not have symptoms but would like to get tested

A: At this time, we are not recommending that asymptomatic individuals (people without symptoms) who have not had a known exposure to COVID-19 receive testing. 

A negative test for an asymptomatic individual only means that you are negative at that point in time and you could still become infected later on. A test done too early on in the incubation period could lead to a false negative test. Testing negative one day does not prevent one from testing positive the next day. The current testing method (PCR nasal swab) will return a false negative result 100% of the time when administered the day of transmission, 40% of the time four days after transmission, and 20% of the time in those who have symptoms three or more days after transmission. 

However, if an asymptomatic test is necessary, please visit our testing webpage to review the sites that may conduct asymptomatic testing.

Q: I would like an antibody test for COVID-19 to see if I was infected before:

A: The current most widely used antibody tests test for IgG and IgM antibodies. IgG antibodies generally develop between seven to ten days after infection, while IgM antibodies are a sign of a more recent infection. At this point, it is unclear to what extent the presence of antibodies may protect from future reinfection.

Please note, a negative test result does not rule out previous COVID-19 infection, and a positive test result could be wrong (false positive) and does not guarantee immunity. Positive results may be due to past or present infection with a different coronavirus strain. Current guidelines, such as social distancing, frequent hand hygiene, staying at home if symptomatic, and use of face masks, will remain in place regardless of the test result.

If you would still like to arrange for an antibody test, you may do so by reaching out to your primary care physician.

Q: I work with somebody who tested positive for COVID-19:

A: Close contacts are those who had close contact (within 6 feet) for more than 15 minutes (regardless of whether or not masks are worn) with someone diagnosed with COVID-19 while that individual was contagious (two days before diagnosis as well as for all days on which the case was symptomatic).

If you develop symptoms (fever of 100.4°F or higher, cough, shortness of breath, loss of taste or smell, fatigue, body aches, headache, sore throat, chills, diarrhea, nausea or vomiting, loss of appetite) during your quarantine period, please reach out to your doctor or primary care physician to see if you qualify for a referral for testing. 

Q: I went to a restaurant or business (grocery store, coffee shop, etc.) where someone tested positive for COVID-19:

A: Unless you were in close contact (within six feet for 15 minutes or more; regardless of whether or not masks were worn) with the individual who tested positive for COVID-19, you do not need to seek testing. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) does not recommend testing for those who are not close contacts. 

If you are identified as a close contact, Pitkin County Public Health will reach out to you with quarantine instructions. 

Q: I have an employee who tested positive for COVID-19:

A: Contact Pitkin County at the COVID-19 Helpline at (970) 429-3363 or email covidhelp@pitkincounty.com, if Public Health staff have not already reached out to you. Additionally, refer to the Employer Guidance document for more information.

The Public Health Disease Investigation Team will initiate contact tracing with the individual. Do not notify other employees about the individual’s positive test result (this is a private medical matter) or attempt to contact trace yourself.

If your place of employment is identified as a location where exposure may have occurred, a member of the Disease Investigation Team will reach out to you directly. The CDC defines a “contact” or an “exposure” as a person who has been closer than 6 feet to a positive person for more than 15 minutes (regardless of whether or not masks are worn), while the person who has tested positive is considered contagious.

Unless your employee self reports to you as the employer, you as the employer may or may not be aware if your employee has tested positive.

Maintain confidentiality. Your employee’s health history is protected by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and should remain private. The individual’s identity must not be revealed to other employees.

Provide support for the individual as well as enable the individual to continue working remotely, as much as possible, if their health allows. The individual who tested positive for COVID-19 will need to complete their isolation orders before returning to work in person.

Do not refer employees for testing (unless symptomatic). Pitkin County Public Health will work directly with you to determine if exposed employees need to be quarantined or tested. Individuals in isolation or quarantine will be released to work by Public Health.

Encourage all employees to:

• Wear required face coverings at all times when on shift and while socializing with coworkers
• Wash hands regularly, especially before eating or touching your face
• Maintain 6 feet of space between self and others
• Cover cough or sneeze into the elbow or tissue
• Avoid contact with people who are sick
• Stay home if sick and seek testing within the first 48 hours of symptoms
  • Sick employees, regardless of testing, are asked to stay home until symptoms improve and a fever has not been reported within 24 hours without fever reducing medication

Your business may or may not be required to close depending on the contact tracing and level of exposure identified. If a recommendation to close is being considered, Pitkin County Public Health will reach out to that business to discuss the concerns and process in detail. Regardless of whether or not a business is asked to close, all businesses should follow:

• If it has been less than 7 days since the sick employee has been in the facility, close off any areas used for prolonged periods of time by the sick person. 
  • Clean, sanitize, and disinfect the employee’s working area.
  • If practical, wait 24 hours before using or cleaning the area with windows open to minimize other employees being exposed.
  • If waiting 24 hours is not feasible, wait as long as possible.
• If it has been 7 days or more since the sick employee used the facility, additional cleaning and disinfection is not necessary. Continue routinely cleaning and disinfecting all high-touch surfaces in the facility.

Q: I want to visit someone who is at a higher risk for severe illness (aged 65 and older, underlying health conditions):

A: Pitkin County Public Health does not currently recommend testing for individuals visiting higher-risk individuals, as a positive test one day does not ensure that you are disease-free the next day. 

Try to limit contact with those at a higher risk for severe illness. It is possible to spread COVID-19 even if you do not have symptoms of illness. If you have been staying home and limiting interactions for two weeks, you may be less likely to be carrying the virus. 

If you decide to visit someone who is high-risk:

• Wear a face covering that covers the nose and mouth
• Maintain 6 feet of space 
• Stay outside if possible
• Keep the interaction short
• Avoid taking public transportation
• Clean your hands often
• Cover your coughs and sneezes
• Consider leaving children at home unless you are confident that they understand distancing guidelines

Q: I am traveling somewhere or enrolled in a program/camp that requires testing for COVID-19:

A: If you are traveling somewhere or have enrolled in a program or camp that requires a negative COVID-19 test before arrival, reach out to your primary care physician to arrange testing or review our testing webpage for sites that test asymptomatic individuals.

Make contingency plans if you receive a positive test result and are unable to proceed with your trip or program. Even if you receive a negative test result, due to the increased risk of COVID-19 with any kind of travel, we also encourage you to have a plan for how to isolate if you develop COVID-19-like symptoms while traveling or at your camp as well. 

Q: My employer requires that I am tested before I can return to work:

A: At this time, we are not advising employers to require asymptomatic individuals to be tested before returning to work. If your employer still requires this to return to work, you may be able to arrange for testing through your primary care physician. If an individual tests positive through a nasal swab, they will need to isolate for 5 days from the time of receiving their results. A negative nasal swab does not preclude an individual from becoming ill at any time in the future.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) has begun distributing over-the-counter BinaxNow rapid antigen COVID-19 tests directly to the home of Coloradans. To read more about the program as well as how to order tests, please read more here.

Q: What is BinaxNow?

A: BinaxNow is a COVID-19 antigen test that was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA). Antigen tests detect COVID-19 viral proteins on samples in order to determine if someone currently has the virus. Samples are collected via a self-administered nasal swab and results are available in 15 minutes.

Q: When should I use the BinaxNow at home?

A: BinaxNow home tests are best performed twice weekly as part of a serial testing effort by the individual. This serial testing effort allows individuals to detect an infection quickly, thus reducing the risk of transmitting the virus to others and being able to access essential care earlier. These tests can also be used to test symptomatic individuals to determine if someone has an active COVID-19 infection.

Q: What should I do if my test is negative?

A: If your BinaxNow at-home test is negative and you are not experiencing symptoms, you can continue with your day-to-day activities. If you are symptomatic but test negative with the BinaxNow at-home test, you should continue to isolate (click here for guidance) and seek out PCR testing to verify results. You can find testing resources in Pitkin County here.

Q: What should I do if my test is positive?

A: If your BinaxNow at home test comes back positive, this is a true positive and you should isolate for at least 10 days from the date your symptoms started. Click here for isolation guidance.

You may also contact your medical provider to discuss possible treatment options. If you are experiencing a medical emergency please call 911. You should then report your result through the Colorado Binax Reporting hub, here. This is the best way to notify the local Public Health department of your positive result and receive further recommendations and support options. There is further information available from CDPHE here.

Finally, think about a list of individuals that you believe you have been in close contact with in order to share that information with a Pitkin County contact tracer when they get in touch with you about next steps. Close contact is defined as someone who you have been within 6 feet of for more than 15 minutes.

You can schedule a proctored test through any provider by using the Pitkin County testing site finder.

Q: I need my vaccination record to travel. How can I find mine?

A:

• If you received your COVID-19 vaccination within Colorado you can use the Pitkin County vaccination record finder to locate your vaccination record.
• Residents of Colorado can access an electronic vaccine record through the MyColorado app. Learn more
• If you did not receive your vaccine within Colorado, all vaccine records are accessible through your state’s Immunization Information Systems (IIS). You can find information regarding your state’s IIS through the CDC’s contacts for IIS immunization records page.
• Please Note: Pitkin County can not access your vaccination records for you; you will need to work with your medical provider or states IIS in order to access or rectify your vaccination records.

Q: How can I request a travel letter?

A:

• Pitkin County Public Health can provide you with a travel letter verifying prior infection history if you meet the following criteria:
  • You or a dependent has tested positive within 90 days.
  • You or a dependent has tested positive through a proctored test.
    • Unproctered at-home tests do not qualify.
• If you meet the above criteria and require a travel letter, please fill out the Pitkin County travel letter request form and you will be contacted by a member of the Disease Investigation Team.
• You may also be able to receive a travel letter from your primary care physician.

Coronavirus: A family of related viruses. Many of them cause respiratory illnesses. Coronaviruses cause COVID-19, SARS, MERS, and some strains of influenza, or flu. The coronavirus that causes COVID-19 is officially called SARS-CoV-2, which stands for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2.

Asymptomatic: Not showing any symptoms (signs of disease or illness). Some people without any symptoms still have and can still be contagious and spread the COVID-19

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC): The United States federal health protection organization

CDPHE: Colorado Department of Public Health and environment. Primary department in Colorado responsible for Public Health and Environment regulations

Communicable: Similar to the word, “contagious.” Used to describe diseases that can be spread or transmitted from one person to another.

Community Spread: People who have been infected with the virus in a particular area. Some may not even know where or how they were infected. 

Infection Rate: This can be referred to as the incident rate. Is the probability or risk of infection in a population. Used to measure the frequency of occurrence of new cases of infection within a defined population during a specified time frame

Epidemic: A situation where more cases of disease than expected happen in a given area or to a group of people

Epidemiology: The branch of medicine that studies how diseases happen and spread in communities of people. A person who studies epidemiology is called an epidemiologist

Flattening the curve: Reducing the rate of new COVID-19 cases. The “curve” refers to a graph showing the number of cases of COVID-19 that happen over a period of time. Many cases happening in a short period of time create a graph that looks like a tall spike

Outbreak: A sudden increase of a specific illness in a small area

PPE: PPE Stands for personal protective equipment, which includes masks, face shields, gloves, gowns, and other coverings used by  healthcare workers to prevent the spread of infection

Incubation period: The time between when a person is infected by a virus and when he or she notices symptoms of the disease. Estimates of the incubation period for COVID-19 range from 2-14 days

Pitkin Case: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) defines a Pitkin Case as a confirmed (positive PCR or antigen test) or probable COVID-19 case (exposure to a confirmed positive case) for those who claim Pitkin County as their place of residence where they spend more than 6 months out of the year. 

7-Day Incidence Rate: A measure of the frequency with which new COVID-19 cases occurred in a population over the past 7 days. The cumulative 7-day incidence rate is calculated by dividing the total number of cases over the census population for Pitkin County, then multiplying by 100,000.

7-Day Positivity Rate: 7-day percent positivity is based on CDPHE reports of all COVID-19 tests among Pitkin County residents. The cumulative number of positive COVID-19 tests is divided by the total number of COVID-19 tests administered and multiplied by 100 for reporting percentages.

PCR Tests: Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests are a type of Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAAT). NAATs are a viral diagnostic test for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. NAATs detect genetic material (nucleic acids).  NAATs for SARS-CoV-2 specifically identify the RNA (ribonucleic acid) sequences that comprise the genetic material of the virus. Read more.

COVID-19 Reinfections: Reinfection with the virus that causes COVID-19 means a person was infected, recovered, and then later became infected again. Reinfections are defined as patients who have tested positive more than 90 days after a previous COVID-19 infection.

Case Fatality Rate (also Case-Fatality Ratio): The proportion of Pitkin County residents who died from COVID-19. This proportion is calculated by dividing the number of COVID-19 deaths among residents by the number of COVID-19 cases among residents.

Case Hospitalization Rate: The proportion of Pitkin County residents who were hospitalized with COVID-19. This proportion is calculated by dividing the number of COVID-19 patients hospitalized among residents by the number of COVID-19 cases among residents.

Fully Vaccinated: A person is considered fully vaccinated against COVID-19 ≥2 weeks after receipt of the second dose in a 2-dose series (Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna) or ≥2 weeks after receipt of the single dose of the Janssen Vaccine.

Vaccinated with the first dose only: A person is considered to have the first dose only if they have only received the first dose of a 2-dose series (Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna).

Up-to-Date Vaccination Status: A person is considered Up-to-Date if they are 12 or older and have had the recommended booster dose at least 5 months after the last dose in their primary series. Read more.

Acute Care beds: Acute care beds are beds accommodating patients where the principal clinical intent is to do one or more of the following: manage labor (obstetric), cure illness or provide definitive treatment of injury, perform surgery, relieve symptoms of illness or injury (excluding palliative care), reduce the severity of illness or injury, protect against exacerbation and/or complication of an illness and/or injury which could threaten life or normal functions, perform diagnostic or therapeutic procedures.

ICU beds: Beds that are equipped to provide critical care to patients and are located within the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). An ICU provides care to critically ill patients that provides intensive and specialized medical and nursing care, an enhanced capacity for monitoring, and multiple modalities of physiologic organ support to sustain life during a period of life-threatening organ system insufficiency. Read more.

Variant of Concern: The term variant of concern for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 is a category used for variants of the virus where mutations in their spike protein receptor binding domain substantially increase binding affinity in RBD-hACE2 complex, while also being linked to rapid spread in human populations.

Genetic Sequencing: The sequence tells scientists the kind of genetic information that is carried in a particular DNA segment.

Sub Variants: Sub Variants like BA.2 that developed off lineage changes to the original variant strain (BA 1)