Local Restaurant Employee Tests Positive for COVID-19 On June 27th , an employee of Beau Jo’s Restaurant in Idaho Springs began exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 and notified the County Department of Public & Environmental Health (PEH). The employee was immediately tested and the results came back positive for COVID-19. The employee has since been in self-isolation, and as of July 11th has satisfied that isolation requirement. The affected individual worked one day while symptomatic and followed the proper health and safety protocols of wearing a face mask, social distancing when possible, and frequent hand washing. As soon as the employee’s positive test result was confirmed, the process of contact tracing began. Close family and friends of the affected individual have been tested and remained in quarantine until their test results returned negative. Beau Jo’s voluntarily closed its doors and thoroughly cleaned and sanitized the restaurant. On Monday July 6th , Clear Creek PEH mobilized on-site testing at Beau Jo’s and tested 60 of the restaurant’s employees. Additional contact tracing, including review of all employee schedules for possible exposure to the affected individual, as well as appropriate monitoring, isolation and quarantine, has been implemented based on the test results. As of July 11th , PEH has received results back for 49 of the employees, all of whom were negative for COVID-19. On Sunday July 12th, Beau Jo’s was given permission to reopen, utilizing only those employees whose test results have returned negative. Explains Clear Creek County PEH Director, Dr. Tim Ryan, “This employee’s quick action of notifying us as soon as symptoms became evident and getting tested helped curb the spread of the virus. Beau Jo’s management also made the difficult, yet appropriate decision to close down until the other employee test results were known.” PEH stresses that patient confidentiality is paramount to their operational procedures and in safeguarding the entire community. If you are experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19, or feel you have been exposed, please call the County’s COVID-19 HEALTH LINE at 303-670-7528 for additional information and to schedule a free COVID-19 test. To keep Clear Creek case numbers from increasing, it remains critical that we come together as a community—residents, businesses, and visitors—and adhere to mask wearing, social distancing, and frequent hand washing, especially during the summer tourist season. For more information, please refer to the County website’s COVID-19 section at www.clearcreekcounty.us Direct links: Clear Creek County COVID -19 Info, County Testing Info, State COVID Info