Coronavirus in Colorado: Vail Health’s CEO Worried That 56-Bed Hospital Will Be Overflowing Soon

This article first appeared in CBS Denver on March 19, 2020.

VAIL, Colo. (CBS4) – The president and CEO of Vail Health says it’s likely that thousands of people are sick with coronavirus in Eagle County. In a statement sent out on Wednesday, Will Cook said it’s time for people there to start taking the state’s COVID-19 guidelines seriously.

Cook says there are 400 tests pending, and he expects many of them to be positive.

He said he’s worried their 56-bed hospital will be overflowing in two to four weeks if people don’t diligently practice social distancing.

It is recommend that anyone in the Eagle County area:

• Stay home or in a comparable setting as much as possible:
  • Work from home if possible; if you can’t work from home, maintain at least 6 feet of distance between you and your coworkers or customers.
  • Only go to public spaces for necessities such as groceries and the pharmacy.
  • Continue healthy, non-group activities like walking, hiking, jogging, cycling and other activities that maintain distance from other people.

• Don’t gather in group settings.
• Avoid mass gatherings.
• Maintain distance (approximately 6 feet or 2 meters) from others.
• If you need to travel, use a private vehicle instead of taking buses, rideshares, flights, or other transportation that puts you in contact with other people.
• Continue to operate critical business functions, such as delivery of goods and operation of businesses, with social distancing and additional safety measures in place.