After a week of targeted restrictions in Fraser and Winter Park due to a COVID-19 outbreak at Winter Park Resort, Grand County Public Health has moved the towns and affected businesses back to Level Orange measures.

On Feb. 12, public health issued a temporary health order that banned indoor gatherings in Fraser or Winter Park, as well as closing restaurants at the resort and two businesses in the Fraser Valley to indoor dining because they had been linked to the outbreak.

The move caused significant backlash from residents, and one of the business owners accused public health of using her business as a scapegoat.

According to new information from public health, 11 patron cases and one employee case were traced back to the two businesses.

With the trend of COVID-19 cases on the decline, Grand County is in line with Level Orange measures and the stricter regulations expired Monday morning.

All businesses, activities and events are now in Level Orange restrictions.

In the past week, Grand County has recorded confirmed 64 cases with three hospitalizations.

The one-week case rate, which measures positive cases per 100,000 people, is at 412.9. Level Red restrictions go into effect over a rate of 500, while Yellow restrictions require the rate to drop below 300.

Over the phone, Public Health Director Abbie Baker emphasized the importance of the case rate as the defining factor for when new restrictions are implemented or removed.

After steady decline over four days, Baker said it was appropriate to go back to Level Orange.

“It was the Governor’s intent with the new Dial, and its seven-day metrics as opposed to the previous 14-day metrics, to allow counties to move more swiftly in and out of higher level restrictions based on current disease trends,” Baker wrote in a news release. “That is exactly what we did.”

The outbreak at Winter Park Resort is ongoing and there is another suspected outbreak at a childcare facility in the county, which public health is waiting for the state to confirm.