Coronavirus image/CDC,Alissa Eckert, MS; Dan Higgins, MAMS
National parks and their facilities remain open during the coronavirus epidemic in the United States while National Park Service officials await further guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, agency staff said Thursday.
"To help guide the National Park Service operational response to the novel (new) coronavirus (COVID-19), the NPS Office of Public Health and the U.S. Public Health Service officers assigned to the NPS are closely monitoring the situation and keeping staff informed," Park Service acting chief spokesperson Stephanie Roulett told the Traveler in an email. "They are relying on the most updated data and information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC), the Office of Personnel and Management (OPM), state and local public health authorities, and coordinating with the DOI Office of Emergency Management.
"The national parks are open and facilities are maintaining continuity of operations," she added. "The NPS is focused on ensuring employees, their families, volunteers, and visitors are safe by following the most current guidance from the CDC, OPM, OEM, and other federal, state, and local health authorities."
The Park Service has been working to keep the public up-to-date on the situation via its public health website.
Representatives for Xanterra Parks & Resorts and Delaware North, two of the largest concessionaires in the National Park System with operations in places such as Yellowstone, Glacier, Grand Canyon, Death Valley, Sequoia, and Shenandoah national parks, did not immediately reply Thursday to emailed requests for how they were approaching the epidemic in their park lodges and restaurants.
Comments
Mass information over load has a fair amount of Americans really showing their lack of analytic capacity matched with years of "it was on the internet" and "CNN just said it". Come on folks, people are still on cruises, truckers are still driving from place to place taking shared showers and Mall's still have teens walking them. Oh yeah many zoo's are still open. I've been to dozens of NPs and I rearily came in direct contact with NP personnel and visitors just have to use social distancing rules. Let's face it American's your pretty much all soft and simply lack direct exposure and lessons learned when faced with a conflict. I wish everyone the best and truly hope everyone learns something from this.
Do you know why we can't buy toiletpaper? Because of alarmist like those saying we should close national parks. It's a new version of the flu folks. Calm down! Every year 60,000 to 100,000 americana die of the flu, but we don't suspend our lives and go into hiding from November to April. When this situation abates in a month or two the number of people who died from coronavirus will be nothing compared to the number who died of the known strains of the flu. It is unfortunate that some folks will die of this illness, just as it is unfortunate that 60,000 will die of the flue, but when the dust settles the economic devastation brought about by alarmists will take decades to overcome.
Good grief.....get real folks! Just because CNN tells you the world is ending doesn't mean it really is! The few hundred or thousand who die in the U.S. from coronavirus (compared to 60,000 or more each year from the flu) will be nothing compared to the economic devestation being caused by alarmists. Look at it this way: If every doctor in the country told everyone who tested positive for coronavirus that they just had the flu, 2 months from now we would not be seeing the devestation to our economy, and we would write off the slight uptick in deaths from the flu to yearly variations. So to those who think we should close national parks get out of the closet or out from under the bed, put on your big boy and big girl pants and get to a national park.
Not all visitors going to national parks are outside. They also go in to the gift shop and restaurants. In fact, we have been seeing 1500+ visitors a day due to spring break here. (I work at the caverns) In the cafe alone, we see hundreds of visitors. They are extremely close together, and doesnt matter how much sanitizer we have on hand, we do not have enough, nor are visitors using it enough.
You're never forced to work. This isn't China. If you are so petrified (pun intended)...quit. Otherwise, use good hygiene during your voluntary employment.
Are the thru-hikers on the Appalachian Trail going to be able to continue to the end?
I think should close, if open people will traving and check in hotels. It is not safe! thanks
This isn't China you can quit if is so petrifying (pun intended).