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UPDATED | Coronavirus Impacts Reaching National Parks, Raising Concerns

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Bad weather forcing Grand Canyon National Park visitors inside raised fears from some employees about catching coronavirus/Rebecca Latson file

Bad weather forcing Grand Canyon National Park visitors inside raised fears from some employees about catching coronavirus/Rebecca Latson file

Editor's note: This updates with news that the Washington Monument will close to the public on Saturday.

Concern over the spread of the novel coronavirus COVID-19 on Friday led to cancellation of the annual maple sugar festival at Indiana Dunes National Park, the planned closing of the Washington Monument on Saturday, and worry for park employees who must interact with visitors in the National Park System.

Though there was no announcement from the National Park Service headquarters in Washington, D.C., about additional closings, it was possible that facilities such as national seashore lighthouses, where visitors can be packed close together as they climb and descend, and possibly tours of Mammoth Cave and Carlsband, also would be shut down in the days ahead. Also uncertain was how crowds in lodges, restaurants, and cafeterias in the parks would be managed. Though the peak summer season is weeks off, spring break typically brings large crowds to parks such as Zion and Grand Canyon.

On a closed-to-the-public Facebook page used by Park Service employees, the overall sentiment Friday seemed to be frustration and anger that Park Service leadership had issued no guidance to the public or employees. Many of those who commented mentioned that their park operations were in violation of state guidelines restricting group gatherings

Whether the decision to cancel the Maple Sugar Time Festival, and to shutter the Washington Monument, would spur similar moves elsewhere in the park system was unknown. In Washington, National Park Service Deputy Director David Vela, the de facto director of the agency, was busy dealing with the situation and unavailable to discuss how the Park Service was responding to the sweeping epidemic.

At Delaware North Parks and Resorts, which operates in or near Grand Canyon National Park, Rocky Mountain National Park, Yosemite National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks, Olympic National Park, and Shenandoah National Park, spokesman Glen White said the concessionaire was working closely with the Park Service on the matter.

"We are taking appropriate measures to help ensure guest and employee safety, which is our highest priority," he said in an email. "At the restaurants and lodging that we operate in the parks, we have taken actions to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus based on the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), including: Expanding sanitizing protocols and bolstering cleaning services throughout our operations; placing hand sanitizer stations at locations for use by guests and employees; posting notifications for our employees on the importance of handwashing; and advising associates who feel sick to remain at home."

Calls to the three other major park concessionaires -- Xanterra Parks & Resorts, Aramark, and Forever Resorts -- were not immediatley returned Friday afternoon.

National Park Service officials, who were said to be in close communications with concessionaires and other park partners, could not immediately say Friday evening whether the concessionaires would refund lodgings reservations canceled at the last minute by visitors increasingly concerned about falling ill in the parks.

At Indiana Dunes in Indiana, staff issued a release stating that, "(T)o protect public health and slow the spread of the COVID-19 novel coronavirus, the National Park Service is cancelling this weekend’s Maple Sugar Time Festival at Indiana Dunes National Park’s Chellberg Farm. The park’s Paul H. Douglas Center for Environmental Education has also been closed and all ranger-led public and school programs are cancelled until at least March 23."

"These actions have been taken based on the best available medical advice to limit gatherings of large numbers of people and to promote social distancing," the statement continued. "At this time, the park’s trails and beaches remain open to the public."

In a statement circulating around the park system, the agency said it was "actively monitoring developments related to the COVID-19 novel coronavirus and is consulting with relevant federal, state and local authorities, including the CDC, to get the most up to date information needed to protect the health of our visitors, volunteers and employees."

But Park Service employees and volunteers who come face-to-face with visitors in crowded parks were voicing concerns over their safety.

"Great Smoky Mountains National Park hosted 12.5 million visitors last year from all over the world. There are four 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," Andy W said in a comment on the Traveler. "I have served the park as a volunteer for five years and I for one will not venture into a park visitor center until the danger has passed."

Another reader, Kathy, wrote that, "I work in a park with cultural resources. People, staff and visitors, are shoulder to shoulder in confined spaces. No changes to historic building tours?"

Andrew S., who didn't indicate which park he works at, said visiting the parks should be discouraged, "especially since visitors don't always practice basic hygiene, even prior to COVID. And now, our concessioner seems to be running low on soap and towels. Even though I've always been meticulous about hygiene doesn't mean that those around me including fellow NPS and visitors will.  And there have instances in the past where people have invaded my personal zone, coming definitely closer than the recommended six foot blast radius. Just saying."

Janie West, who indicated she works at Grand Canyon National Park, responded to those who argued that national parks should stay open during the epidemic. She wrote that, "Obviously you are not up here working in close contact and collecting their money, dishes, linens and putting yourself at risk. We have thousands coming through the gates and with bad weather everyone is inside. We were able to make it through a government shutdown for weeks but due to greed we can't take a couple weeks to protect our Grand Canyon community and staff?"

The bulk of the comments posted on the Traveler, though, came from readers who wanted the parks to stay open.

"I agree with keeping the parks open," wrote Victoria in a comment that mirrored many others. "What better way to stay healthy and positive than being out in the fresh air and getting exercise? It keeps up the endorphins. Proven to be good for your health, mentally and physically."

"Leave them open!!! This is a rare opportunity for American Families to get out in the fresh air with their families, visit our beautiful treasured national parks and avoid foreign traveler competition," wrote Jojo Willey. "Schools are now closed and flights are cheap. I was thinking of renting a couple of RVs and taking the whole family. This is the best time for well Americans to enjoy these resources!"

Comments

Please stay open. As a full time RVer, and a veteran family, we would be without a place to park our RV without the wonderful state and national park service offering overnight camping. (Private parks can add up over a few weeks. We couldn't afford to stay in our farm when I lost my job so we are making the best of a bad situation. Please let us continue to explore and enjoy the outdoors and have a place to park where we are not a nuisance! :( Thank you for your consideration.


Having been just at the Grand Canyon recently ...last week. The restaurants were crowded and the hotels were full from people ALL over the Globe.  It was more crowded and busy than any airport and certainly more people in closer quarters and exhanging money, handling gifts touching everything etc.  If you are closing schools and you are closing the boarders you have to close the parks too. 


I don't think that anything should close it is best that people breathe fresh air. This is getting a little out of hand. the last how many years we have had different other virus and nothing shut down then. So why now? We should not have to live in a bubble and in fear. Let people live their lives and enjoy the country.my family is ready to see the Grand Canyon in the next week. So please leave it open and let people enjoy the Beauty. 


everyone has a job that has to deal with encounters with customers wether it's a tourist attraction or not the national parks spread far and wide and don't have you elbow to elbow touching each other so stop freaking out. They should not close because of these reasons 


Hitch Vikings - BLM allows camping up to 2 weeks per location!! Perfect chance to stay away from the crowds & the viruses!! People are using school closings as excuse to travel all over. My community near parks has 2 stores, small hospital & lots of seniors that are high risk. Forest Service also has lots of great opportunity for people that want to be outside


There are many places you can park your RV for free until this blows over. Freecampsites.net is a good resource if the parks do close. Please think of the park service employees as well. As long as the parks remain open, visitorship will swell as people look for something to do, this puts them at great risk as their job is interacting with said public.


Please keep the National Parks open and do not panic.  As this virus goes through the bell curve and the cases increase significantly over the next 3 months, the prudent approach is to have a fast, reliable, Inferared digital thermometer at every single Visitors Center.  This inexpensive infrared thermometer (under $40) works iwithout ever needing to come into close contact with each person as they arrive to the Visitor's Center.  By using this as the primary low cost  screening protocol we can eliminate from all Visitor's Centers and gatherings those individuals who are having a fever and therefore "active" to spread the virus.  China has implemented this protocol and their cases are diminishing on the back end of the bell curve.  It is the primary tool to identify and send to quarantine those people who have a fever and are capable of spreading this virus without impairing the remainder of the population to enjoy the National Parks and our well staffed Visitor's Center.  On the Amazon website several such items are featured "Prime" and in stock and every Visitors Center and National Monument could have one with same day delivery!  Such a simple and low cost approach can help keep our Visitor's Centers open throughout this crisis without panic and closing our National Parks prematurely.  


Yosemite national Park is not run by Delaware North for at least 3 years. Aramark is their concessionaire now. 


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