Archuleta County reported its first COVID-19 outbreak at a hunting outfitter company called HG Guide Services.
Claire Macpherson with San Juan Basin Public Health said three confirmed cases and one probable case are associated with a hunting trip in September.
One person was from Archuleta County, and the others were from Texas and Oklahoma. They began to show symptoms around Sept. 20 and tested positive at Pagosa Springs Medical Center, Macpherson said.
According to state guidelines, an “outbreak” is defined as two or more cases at a location in a 14-day period. Macpherson said the outbreak poses a low risk to the community.
Attempts to reach HG Guide Services were unsuccessful – the business is not registered with the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office. Macpherson said the company is based in Texas.
“It took a little detective work for us to get in touch with the owner,” she said.
CDPHE mistakenly attributed the outbreak as being in La Plata County in its weekly Wednesday update, Macpherson said. The state health department is working to fix the reporting error, she said.
A request for comment to CDPHE was not immediately returned Thursday morning.
jromeo@durangoherald.com
