Ski tourism through Vail is causing coronavirus concerns in Mexico, specifically in the state of Jalisco, where hundreds of people potentially exposed to the virus recently traveled.
In a video posted to social media, Jalisco Gov. Enrique Alfaro said two flights carrying about 400 people between Denver and Mexico included several travelers who tested positive for the respiratory illness COVID-19. He said several passengers and members of the flight crews remained in Jalisco.
Alfaro called for those travelers to isolate themselves to mitigate the spread of the disease in Mexico. As of Friday, the government reported 27 cases of COVID-19 in Jalisco, a state on the west coast of Mexico famous for tequila production. But Alfaro warned the group that visited Vail posed a risk of more widespread infection.
Bloomberg reported that three Mexican business leaders also tested positive for the new coronavirus virus after visiting Vail, including Juan Domingo Beckmann, CEO of Beckle SAB, which makes Jose Cuervo tequila.
Este video es para pedir tu ayuda y es de suma importancia:
Alrededor de 400 personas estuvieron en dos vuelos chárter hacia Vail, una zona de esquí en Colorado, EUA, varias de ellas con #coronavirus. Hoy están en Jalisco y representan un riesgo para los demás. pic.twitter.com/s7Z5R36gg0
— Enrique Alfaro (@EnriqueAlfaroR) March 18, 2020
This isn’t the only international group attributing infections to Colorado. Authorities in Iceland linked three cases of the virus to residents who flew through Denver International Airport.
The first reported case of the coronavirus in Colorado was in Summit County, and nearby Eagle County, home to Vail, has been a hotspot for the virus. The state’s first patient was a visitor from California who skied at Vail Mountain and Keystone between Feb. 29 and March 2. On Tuesday, Vail closed all its North American resorts for the season.
