Party at California ski resort linked to possible COVID-19 outbreak, officials say
A recent anniversary party celebrating a popular Tahoe-area ski resort may have spawned a COVID-19 outbreak, local health officials said this week.
Kirkwood Mountain Resort, south of Lake Tahoe, hosted a 50th anniversary celebration last Saturday at its lodge with about 200 people in attendance.
The Alpine County health office in a Thursday news release said it has been notified of “several persons with new onset of COVID illness that attended the event.”
A more specific estimate of virus cases linked to the event was not immediately available. It was not clear whether any of those infected required hospitalization. The news release referred to the incident as a “probable COVID outbreak.”
County health officials wrote that most attendees of the semicentennial anniversary party were “old timers,” and urged those who attended to get tested for COVID-19. The health office also encouraged those at higher risk for severe COVID-19 – including adults over the age of 50, people who are unvaccinated and those with existing health conditions – to seek antiviral treatments such as Paxlovid.
Alpine County is California’s least populous county at just over 1,200 residents. State health data show no recent COVID-19 activity in the county, but party attendees likely included residents of other counties.
Local and state health officials continue to urge caution, as COVID-19 transmission tends to increase this time of year due to end-of-year holiday gatherings, associated travel and colder weather driving people to congregate indoors.
This story was originally published December 23, 2022 at 11:04 AM with the headline "Party at California ski resort linked to possible COVID-19 outbreak, officials say."
