Jackson Hole's latest move (hint: not smart)

[teppaz]

Apparently Jackson Hole is lifting its mandatory masking requirements on Jan. 1. Masking on the tram is left to "personal choice." Are they limiting capacity on the tram? Because if you've ever taken it, you know people are packed like sardines in there.

Compare with Snowbird, which has reinstated its mask policy indoors and on its tram.

 

[geargrrl]

Well they *are* right next to Idaho where COVID apparently doesn't exist. Silver Mt does not require it or even suggest it for their gondola.

 

[Christy]

Well they *are* right next to Idaho where COVID apparently doesn't exist. Silver Mt does not require it or even suggest it for their gondola.

Nor does Sun Valley, despite the fact that both the municipalities of Sun Valley and Ketchum require indoor masking.

 

[geargrrl]

Silver Mt gondola line last weekend. Not a mask to been seen according to my friend. Weekdays you might get a gondola car to yourself or your small group.

 

[contesstant]

Apparently Jackson Hole is lifting its mandatory masking requirements on Jan. 1. Masking on the tram is left to "personal choice." Are they limiting capacity on the tram? Because if you've ever taken it, you know people are packed like sardines in there.

Compare with Snowbird, which has reinstated its mask policy indoors and on its tram.

I wonder why they are lifting the requirements? To me, it makes zero sense. It is NOT that hard to cover the nose and mouth while on a gondola or tram. This might make me rethink my days there in February. Of course, Snowbasin is also not requiring masks (because Utah and Idaho are kin) so I wear mine and cross my fingers.

In the meantime, Park City has reinstated its mask requirements for gondolas. Covid is running rampant here with case counts more than doubling in three days. Alta had to cancel New Year's even plans due to an outbreak amongst staff.

 

[teppaz]

Teton County is lifting its mask mandate indoors (including in public schools) and I guess Jackson Hole is following suit: the resort will have signage to indicate that "mask usage is encouraged" but "JHMR also strongly supports personal choice in mask usage, and all employees and guests choices on masks will be accommodated."

I wonder if JHMR also supports personal choice in terms of, say, obeying resort boundaries: that rope blocking off avalanche terrain? Don't worry about it, folks!

 

[Jilly]

Quebec just basically closed down again. Curfew, restaurants closed, store/businesses closed on Sundays, Schools closed an extra week, limits to gatherings.....last January all over again....

 

[geargrrl]

It's the wild west "no gummint people gonna tell us what to do" plus "it's a hoax" mentality. I live just across the border from Idaho and it is a different world over there in terms of how the public and businesses are treating COVID.

 

[TNtoTaos]

I wonder why they are lifting the requirements? To me, it makes zero sense. It is NOT that hard to cover the nose and mouth while on a gondola or tram. This might make me rethink my days there in February.

I've read that the owner of JH is an anti-vaxxer/anti-masker.

 

[Iwannaski]

All of this mess could have been avoided if there weren’t parties interested in politicizing public health and making it a partisan issue. :(

Isn’t Jackson Hole the resort that lost the ability to resell Patagonia because of some of their approaches? that news actually made me buy Patagonia items. LOL.

 

[snoWYmonkey]

As stated above, our county, the last in the state to require masks, is not renewing the mandate at the end of the month. The rationale from a public health dept. that I actually feel has gone above and beyond to keep us safe while fighting against a state that is not about masks or public health, is that omicron is rapidly taking over as a variant and while highly contagious not causing deaths or severe illness in numbers justifying previous protocols. More like the flu than delta. Still dangerous but not catastrophic.

Not my words or argument!

The next few weeks will be very telling in a state with such low vaccination rates. For now the hospital in Jackson has seen a drop in cases.

 

[newboots]

I wonder how many surges we will have before people are willing to swallow hard, get the vaccine (if no important reason not to), and wear the damn masks already?

86 Killington Resort employees test positive for Covid-19

Another 22 staffers are symptomatic and awaiting results. According to the Vermont Department of Health, the Killington outbreak is the largest it’s aware of in the state.

vtdigger.org

 

[ling]

Do they test their unvaccinated staff weekly? And if they do, do they require them to not come to the mountain if they test positive?

(but if they don't require a test, obviously no one would test positive )

I wouldn't go inside any businesses that don't require their staff have a mask. I would ski it though. Just not buy any food/drink or rent equipment.

In the case of JH, I wouldn't ski there as the tram is a big part of the mountain.

(I suspect JH probably don't mind that much losing a few customers like me. It's already too crowded. Anything that stops people from visiting is good for the locals, for now anyway)

 

[snoWYmonkey]

Employees that work with at risk populations, as in young kids in daycare, are required to show vaccination status. None of the rest of us were asked our status and no testing is required. Pretty standard for the state of WY. Positive employees must follow the state or CDC guidelines which are currently 5 days isolation for asymptomatic and diligent mask wearing for 5 days after that at work.

 

[ling]

None of the rest of us were asked our status and no testing is required.

Positive employees must follow the state or CDC guidelines which are currently 5 days isolation for asymptomatic

Why would anyone not experiencing symptoms go take a test when there's no requirement to do so?

 

[marzNC]

Why would anyone not experiencing symptoms go take a test when there's no requirement to do so?

If someone knows they were exposed to COVID-19 and they are living with someone or caring for someone who is at high risk, then getting tested may be of interest independent of what an employer requires.

 

[MissySki]

I wonder how many surges we will have before people are willing to swallow hard, get the vaccine (if no important reason not to), and wear the damn masks already?

86 Killington Resort employees test positive for Covid-19

Another 22 staffers are symptomatic and awaiting results. According to the Vermont Department of Health, the Killington outbreak is the largest it’s aware of in the state.

vtdigger.org

Sure glad I didn’t go inside at all when I was there last Thursday! Had the good idea of using the restroom at my bootfitter’s shop that morning before heading to the mountain.

 

[snoWYmonkey]

Why would anyone not experiencing symptoms go take a test when there's no requirement to do so?

The requirement to test after exposure is still mandated by the county public health teams that do contact tracing.

The state has no workplace testing or vaccine or mask requirements.

Our county has free testing for all residents at any time.

 

[contesstant]

Employees that work with at risk populations, as in young kids in daycare, are required to show vaccination status. None of the rest of us were asked our status and no testing is required. Pretty standard for the state of WY. Positive employees must follow the state or CDC guidelines which are currently 5 days isolation for asymptomatic and diligent mask wearing for 5 days after that at work.

People just won't get tested. That goes for employees AND guests. With Omicron, I'm not sure how effective weekly testing will be anyway. Snowbasin is supposed to be requiring it for unvaxxed employees.

But masks--to me, they are such a simple way to cut down transmission rates. They don't eliminate transmission but even a 50% decrease is a huge number (and I believe they are closer to 80% effective, but there are of course a lot of variables there.)

What I'm observing personally as I'm out and about and especially on the mountain is there are a lot more people who are willing to take precautions but the minority are loud and belligerent. Seems to be how the world is right now. Meanwhile, as a country we are approaching the million dead mark (which is likely a low count) and it kind of leaves me speechless. And we're not done yet...

 

[snoWYmonkey]

My friend just sent the holidays in Singapore and was so happily awed by the mask wearing compliance. Equatorial heat amd humidity and only when eating outdoors or inside their rooms could they remove the masks. Outdoor wearing of masks over the nose and mouth 100 per cent of the time.

Testing in Tetons County is mostly sold out so some are likely getting tested a lot and of course most not at all.