Steamboat, Winter Park And Loveland Ownership Follow Vail, Announce Indefinite Closure

(CBS4) -- Alterra Mountain Company, operator of Steamboat and Winter Park ski resorts among several other winter recreation destinations in North America, announced Saturday a temporary cessation of operations beginning Sunday morning.

Alterra's notice follows that of Vail Resorts, which declared a week-long closure about an hour earlier.

While Vail intends to re-evaluate its closure after a week, Alterra's move is more open-ended. Alterra said all its operations are closed until further notice.

"I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this short notice will undoubtedly create," stated Alterra CEO Rusty Gregory on the company's website. "We look forward to welcoming you back to your mountains as circumstances improve."

The closure mirrors others across the state as Coloradans and businesses shut down large gatherings of people and employ 'social distancing' in hopes of thwarting the rate of spread of COVID-19.

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While a number of presumptive positive test results have come from the central mountain communities that house resorts like Vail and Aspen, the state has registered one positive test from Routt County, Steamboat's home. That person is neither a resident of Routt County or Colorado.

Grand County, which contains Winter Park, has no presumptive positive test results to this point.

Colorado health officials expect those numbers, however, to increase. Friday, Gov. Jared Polis joined health officials in a plea for ski areas to employ preventative measures.