EAGLE COUNTY, Colo. — The Eagle County Board of Health voted on Thursday to let the county's mask mandate for indoor public spaces expire at the end of the day on Jan. 17.
The public health order went into effect Dec. 17, as Eagle County saw an alarming surge in COVID-19 cases. The Board of Health said on Thursday that new cases were declining and there was less strain on businesses and health-care facilities.
The board voted to extend the mask mandate for schools – preschool through eighth grade – for another school week, through Jan. 21.
Eagle County's new cases in the omicron surge peaked at the end of December and have been decreasing during January. The county reported 50 new cases on Thursday.
> The video above on the surge of COVID cases in Colorado ski counties aired Dec. 27.
As of Friday, 15% of ICU beds were available in the Central Mountain Region, which Eagle County is part of, and 9% were available statewide, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE).
County businesses and organizations can institute their own policies on vaccinations and masks, and masks are required in Eagle County government facilities and on public transit, the board said.
"Public health officials emphasized the ongoing value of face coverings and will continue to recommend them in public indoor settings, especially as disease rates remain high within the county and around the state," according to a news release.
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