Rocky Mountain National Park closes at request of locals amid coronavirus outbreak

Rocky Mountain Nationwide Park will be shut till even more detect owing the coronavirus outbreak, park officers announced Friday evening.

According to a information release, the closure came at the ask for of the neighborhood well being department in Estes Park. Earlier in the working day, Estes Park mayor Todd Jirsa referred to as on Interior Secretary David Bernhardt to close the park in get to limit people coming as a result of the city, which observed its initially good coronavirus test on Thursday.

The closure began at seven p.m. Friday and was formally announced an hour later.

“The well being and security of our people, staff members, volunteers, and companions at Rocky Mountain Nationwide Park is our range one precedence,” the information release reported. “The Nationwide Park Support is doing work with the federal, point out, and neighborhood authorities to intently monitor the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) situation. We will notify the public when we resume complete functions and provide updates on our web-site and social media channels.”

Earlier in the week, the park shut visitor’s centers and eradicated entry service fees but remained open. Entrance gates were shut previously Friday due to the fact additional than a foot of snow fell and plowing was hindered by lack of plow drivers.

Various national parks have shut more than the final week. In Washington, D.C., the Washington Monument shut March 14. The Golden Gate Nationwide Recreation Space in San Francisco — along with Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty in New York — shut March sixteen. Yosemite Nationwide Park shut Friday afternoon.

In Colorado, most out of doors areas continue being open, but Manitou Incline and Waterton Canyon both of those shut March 18.