Grand Canyon Weekly Wrap-up — Feb. 14-18, 2022

COVID News

Changes in testing at the Grand Canyon Clinic

The Clinic has modified their COVID-19 testing procedures and now will be offering curbside appointments Mondays and Fridays from 2-3 p.m. and Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Patients will now need to be seen by a provider for these appointments. Insurance is accepted, and no one will be turned away if they don’t have insurance and can’t afford testing. Individuals will will be billed for a provider visit. It is also important to remember that North Country has a sliding fee scale for the uninsured.

Patients are encouraged to call ahead and get on the curbside appointment list as soon as possible. Patients can also walk in and see a provider at any other time to be evaluated for COVID.

Tusayan Vaccine Event-February 22

The Coconino County Health and Human Service’s mobile vaccine team will be providing COVID-19 vaccinations and booster doses on Tuesday, February 22 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Tusayan Fire District Station.

First and second doses of the COVID-19 vaccine will be available of all three types (Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson and Johnson). The Pfizer vaccine will be available for those 5 and over as well as booster doses for those 12 and older.

More information on this event can be found in this flyer.

Arizona and Grand Canyon Community Statistics

Case numbers in Arizona decreased this week to an average of 4,388 new cases per day compared to last week’s average of 7,400 per day. It was great to continue to see a decline in cases for the third consecutive week, and especially, to see those numbers fall by close to half in each of those weeks.

Coconino County is reporting 411 cases in the 86023 zip code. On December 25, 2021, the park had 78 cases total since March 2020. Since December 26, 2021, the park has recorded 128 new cases, which brings are total number of cases within the park to 206. That is a 164% increase in cases in less than two months.

Coconino County reports the Grand Canyon community is 72.6% fully vaccinated as of February 11.

Public Health Contacts

Ronan King, Lieutenant Commander, U.S. Public Health Service

Mobile: (202) 891-8599, Email: ronan_king@nps.gov

For all email correspondence, please also cc: Chris Glime, Captain, U.S. Public Health Service

Mobile: (202) 641-3518, Email: christen_glime@nps.gov

Local fire departments respond to truck fire; residents urged to dispose of ash properly

While our cold weather continues, the Grand Canyon Fire Department would like to remind residents of how to properly handle ashes from your wood stoves and fireplaces. Ashes can remain hot for several days after your fire has gone out. These hot ashes can still cause fires, even after you’ve removed them from your home.

On Wednesday, February 16, Grand Canyon and Tusayan Fire Departments responded to a fire within the park’s trash truck (see photos to right and above). The fire is believed to have been caused by improperly disposed of embers/ashes from a fireplace or wood stove.

To keep your ashes from starting a fire, follow these guidelines:

Women of Science Day observed February 11

On Friday, February 11, the NPS recognized the International Day of Women and Girls of Science. The park acknowledged and recognized the accomplishments of some of our amazing female scientists by creating a new Women of Science webpage on the Grand Canyon park’s website.

Thank you to Kylie Caesar and Anna Rehpkof in the Interpretation and Resource Education Division as well as Donelle Huffer, Erikka Olsen, Miranda Terwilliger and Emily Omana in the Science and Resource Management Division for sharing their stories.

Work Group of the Week-Deputy Division Chiefs Roundtable

This week we will begin highlighting the many work groups throughout the park, who they are, and what they do. The goal is to share information on these work groups and provide opportunities for employees to participate in teams across the park.

Today we are highlighting the Deputy Division Chiefs Roundtable which is comprised of all Deputy Division Chiefs from VRP, SRM, PEP, IRE and representatives from Administration and Safety work groups. AJ Lapre, Manager of the Office of Employee and Organizational Development, is the chair of the Deputy Division Chiefs Roundtable. The mission of the group states, “The Deputy Division Chiefs are committed to furthering the mission and vision of the park, our collective Divisions, and the Superintendent and Deputy Superintendents. We recognize and accept their responsibilities of leadership to support the priorities of the Park Senior Executive Team (PSET).”

Over the past two years, this work group has been dedicated to addressing the COVID-19 pandemic through weekly communications (such as this newsletter!), tracking PPE, and identifying and bringing concerns forward to the Superintendent and the Adaptive Management Park Operations (AMPO) Team. Some other accomplishments of the DDCR over the years has been developing and initiating the Arrowhead and Shoulder Above Award, redeveloping the selection process for the Housing Policy Part 1, and working on the park’s annual Servicewide Comprehensive Call (SCC) for funding. We would like to thank AJ and his Deputy Roundtable colleagues for the great work they are continuing to do for the park.

Park Dumpsters…

What Goes In

Park solid waste staff have noticed an increase in residents putting items they no longer want next to dumpsters, often with a “free” sign in the hopes that someone might want their gently used hand-me downs. Please, put your items in the dumpster if you don’t want them anymore.

Leaving items by the dumpsters interferes with safe access to the dumpsters, creates a burden for the trash truck drivers, and makes the neighborhood unsightly. Drivers must stop their trucks in the middle of the road (sometimes blocking traffic) to place these items in the dumpster. Often, drivers are forced to lift heavy items and subject themselves to possible injury. Please, put your trash in the dumpster.

NPS management will be working on a program for residents to transport large items, such as old furniture or appliances, to an appropriate site. Please stay tuned for more information and updates to come in the coming months.

Utah Shakespeare Festival Travels to Grand Canyon March 3

On Thursday, March 3 at 7 p.m. the Utah Shakespeare Festival will once again return to the park at the Shrine of the Ages Auditorium. The performance will be a modern-day twist on Shakespeare’s beloved play, Much Ado About Nothing.

According to the festival website, “The Utah Shakespeare Festival has been taking its Shakespeare-in-the-Schools tour on the road for twenty-eight years, bringing Shakespeare to schools and rural communities across the Intermountain West. This year, for the first time, the touring production will be Shakespeare’s much-loved Much Ado About Nothing.” More information on this performance can be found in this news release or in the this flyer.

Please note, new operational changes are highlighted in red.

South Rim

Lodging occupancy in the park is expected to be at or near capacity. Our concessioners are expecting a busy season ahead!

Xanterra

Delaware North

Other

Desert View

The following park closures remain in place:

Please visit the Grand Canyon National Park website for a complete list of closures and available amenities.

Photo Credits (in order of appearance)