Telluride & San Miguel County COVID19 Update

Telluride, CO Local Coronavirus Update

Hello, and I hope you are in good health!

Telluride and San Miguel County have repeatedly illustrated an unbelievable strength and intimacy of community helping each other in the past and now in these unusual times. It’s a big reason why people live here and visit here. Local government officials and media are communicating openly, honestly and frequently with lots of recent helpful information including:

• You probably know this but it is worth mentioning the ski area is closed.
• Local schools are physically closed but teaching our students online.
• Practically all businesses here are shut down except essential services.
• A home quarantine/shelter in place public health order was issued at midnight last night until at least April 3. Further details are found in the attached Public Health Order from San Miguel County.
• This disease is real. One of my brothers, in North Carolina, tested positive yesterday. He is in stable condition and is self-quarantine at home, monitoring his systems.

San Miguel County to offer antibody testing to all County residents specifically for Covid19.

• The County is the first in America to offer free diagnostic antibody testing to all County residents specifically for Covid19. San Miguel County is partnering with United Biomedical’s subsidiary United Neurosciences to administer the free test to all residents on a voluntary basis in the next few days. According to an interview a few minutes ago by local radio station KOTO with United Neuroscience CEO Mei Mei Hu and co-founder and Chief Officer Lou Reese, Hu and Reese say San Miguel County was chosen because it is a rare opportunity to provide a huge benefit for a remote community in isolation as well as a huge benefit for the global medical community. “The county’s geography is a perfect case to test in order to gain critical info and reverse the tide of Covid19 around the world.”

The official release is as follows:

“United Biomedical Group’s C19 Company Partners With San Miguel County, Colorado To Be First In Nation To Test An Entire County For COVID-19 With New Antibody Diagnostic Test”

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON THIS YOU MAY CLICK ON THE LINKS HERE:

https://tellmed.org/coronavirus

https://www.sanmiguelcountyco.gov/590/Coronavirus

• Local health officials are very concerned and said yesterday there are several critically ill residents requiring intensive hospitalization including multiple cases of young children in regional emergency departments with serious symptoms.
• While the impact of all of this is immense here and across the world with a rough ride ahead in the near term, human beings are remarkable and are rising up to conquer this battle.
• The Shimkonis Partners team is fully staffed. We are helping buyers and sellers with their real estate objectives. Some are actively engaging the team with queries, questions and concerns.
• Members of Shimkonis Partners are in the process of donating the use of personal properties we own in the area to help front-line responders and health officials along with creating certain helpful supplies for relief efforts.
• There may never be a better time in our lifetimes to take advantage of extraordinarily low interest rates to refinance, set up a Home Equity Line Of Credit or make a purchase.
• To date, I’m unaware of any properties here that have fallen out of contract. Currently 78 properties are under contract in the county. 29 under $500,000. 16 from $500,000-$1m. 15 from $1m-$2m, 8 from $2m-$3m and 10 at $3+m. Of those 78, 20 have contracted since the beginning of the month.
• While I mostly expect a pause in potential contracts for the next few weeks, I’ve been contacted by a handful of buyers wanting to be kept posted on opportunities. Let me know if you want to be included on the list.
• Once this pandemic disaster subsides, I expect strong demand on short and long term rentals and likely a few families taking their homes off the market or choosing not to sell and instead relocating here or keeping their home asset as a sanctuary. In fact several second home friends and clients extended their February and March visits here. BUT it’s important to reiterate the Public Health Order from the County that people who aren’t here remain in the respective places.

Finally, one of the many silver linings and the best thing for our family is that life has slowed down, way down. My wife Jennifer, my two kids and I are enjoying doing puzzles and going for family walks. And, Mother Nature is getting a breather from air and water pollution. Yet, we are mindful of giving love and support to those who are struggling through this both economically and in health.

I hope this was informative. Thanks for reading and stay well.

San Miguel County COVID19 Update March 20, 2020

Dear Family, Friends, Clients, Buyers & Sellers –

Thanks to many of you who responded to my last update with a request to be kept posted. I promise I’ll only provide very important updates and not bombard your inboxes as each of us are experiencing.

First, San Miguel County’s first positive case of covid19 was announced this morning. It is a 54-year old local man with a family. More cases are expected to be announced next week. Two of the pediatric cases mentioned in my last email turned out to be negative for covid19.

The San Miguel County Public Health Department issued a new order this afternoon halting active residential and commercial construction in the county effective tonight. Exemptions are projects necessary to support essential services. Only minimum basic operations such as basic maintenance, inventory, security and payroll are allowed. The only exception to the order is for purposes providing services to essential businesses, supporting essential infrastructure or essential governmental function as long as they adhere to social distancing measures.

Also, the county is finalizing operation plans and logistics to roll out free, voluntary, county-wide blood tests for covid19 antibody detection. The goal is to begin testing early next week. The county medical director stated earlier this morning that the shelter in place orders will likely extend for 30 days or more.

Be prepared and be ready for any lightning quick public health orders in your community.