With the large international visitation that the National Park System receives, it's only natural to wonder how the National Park Service is guarding against visitors who might be infected with Coronavirus.
Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Zion, and Death Valley are among the park units that attract large numbers of international visitors.
"While there have been no identified cases of Coronavirus in any national park, the NPS Office of Public Health and the U.S. Public Health Service officers assigned to the National Park Service are closely monitoring the situation and keeping staff informed, relying on the most updated data and information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention," Alexandra Picavet, the acting chief spokesperson for the Park Service, said Tuesday.
"Parks are informed to follow CDC guidance regarding preventative actions to help prevent the spread of viruses, particularly during flu and respiratory disease season."
Comments
I hope the National Parks stay open. The risk is near zero if people take standard precautions of washing their hands and avoiding touching their face and picking their nose. Many children are out of school due to the proximity to other students in a classroom setting. Being able to continue their education by visiting the national parks in an open airy environment is what keeps this country great.
Great Smokie Mountain National Park hosted 12.5 million visitors last year from all over the world. There are 4 visitor centers that each have about 8,500 people each day come through. If this is not a high risk for the virus. I don't know what is. I have served the Park as a volunteer for 5 years and I for one will not venture into a Park visitor center until the danger has passed.
Close the post offices not the parks. One mail carrier can infect 1000 customers in one day out on the route. How many people are ordering online? How many mail carrier routes are there invthe U.S.?
They shouldn't close the park because there is a very low contagion risk for COVID-19. Shutting down the parks is just going to further the current hemmorghing of money that all of the closures are going through. If you feel that you are high risk, don't visit the parks. The rest of us will go on living our lives because we refuse to be controlled by media hype and public panic.
Norovirus actually spread much easier and faster than coronavirus. On average, 1 person with COVID-19 usually spreads the virusto 2-3 people whereas 1 person with noravirus spreads the virus to 8 people. Don't believe the hype that the media is spreading- that is the really dangerous virus in this situation!!
I agree with Genia and Jennifer!! Don't shut down the NPS!! If people are too scared to go to the parks based on the media hype then they can stay home. My family does not buy into it and we know how to wash our hands and take other precautions so we want to keep our plans for next week's Spring Break!
I'll be out there at the Grand Canyon on April the 5th and I'm not afraid of any stinking virus
Same here!