Grand Canyon National Park
Key Messages – Week of December 6, 2021
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Omicron and Vaccine Boosters
As most of you know, the newest variant, Omicron, has garnered a lot of news. What we know so far:
- The Omicron variant likely will spread more easily than the original virus and how easily Omicron spreads compared to Delta remains unknown. CDC expects that anyone with Omicron infection can spread the virus to others, even if they are vaccinated or don’t have symptoms.
- More data is needed to know if Omicron infections, and especially reinfections and breakthrough infections in people who are fully vaccinated, cause more severe illness or death than infection with other variants.
- Current vaccines are expected to protect against severe illness, hospitalizations, and deaths due to infection with the Omicron variant. However, breakthrough infections in people who are fully vaccinated are likely to occur. With other variants, like Delta, vaccines have remained effective at preventing severe illness, hospitalizations, and death. The recent emergence of Omicron further emphasizes the importance of vaccination and boosters.
- For NPS employees, the Office of Personnel Management has now authorized up to four hours of administrative leave for employees to receive a COVID-19 vaccine booster shot or to accompany a family member to receive a booster shot. Be sure to obtain advance approval from your supervisor before using administrative leave. Contact your servicing Human Resources Office with questions.
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Upcoming Vaccine Event-Saturday, December 11
At the Grand Canyon Clinic, a COVID-19 vaccine booster event will be held on Saturday, December 11 beginning at 10 a.m. To schedule an appointment, please call the clinic directly. Additional dates and times for booster shots may be added in the future based on demand.
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Arizona and Grand Canyon Community Statistics
Case numbers in Arizona increased this week to 4,038 new cases per day compared to last week’s average of 3,097 per day. As of Tuesday, there have been a total of 273 cases in the 86023 zip code since the beginning of the pandemic (of these, approximately 74 cases are in the park).
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Reporting COVID symptoms is critical to limiting exposure and keeping our staff and community safe.
If you think you may have been exposed to COVID, regardless of your vaccination status, immediately isolate and report your situation to your supervisor and Public Health Consultant, Ronan King, and await their instructions. Following this protocol and Ronan’s instructions is extremely important so that any community spread can be contained as quickly as possible.
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Public Health Contacts
Ronan King, Lieutenant Commander, U.S. Public Health Service
For all email correspondence, please also cc: Chris Glime, Captain, U.S. Public Health Service
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Messages and Grand Canyon News
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Winter Road Conditions and Reporting Emergencies
With the first major snow of the season arriving, here are a few reminders on park road conditions and reporting emergencies, especially during periods of inclement weather.
When a road closes in the park, Grand Canyon Dispatch, who are staffed 24 hours a day, receive the notification and immediately will update the road conditions outgoing message. This number should be programmed into your phone if it isn’t already; it is: 928-638-7496. Please do not call dispatch for roads updates unless you are reporting an emergency.
- Dispatch will notify the Arizona Department of Transportation on the road closure, and this will be reflected on the AZ511.gov website and the ADOT phone alerts app.
- Following this notification, the park’s social media and public affairs team will update the park website in the ‘ALERT’ section on the homepage of www.nps.gov/grca with pertinent road closure and/or winter advisory information. If you have the NPS Mobile App and have Grand Canyon programmed as a ‘pinned park’ you can easily view any park alerts, including road closure information.
- For lengthy closures, South Rim Patrol and the NPS roads crew will post barricades and signage indicating road closure information.
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Reporting Emergencies
As a reminder, when driving, if a visitor or resident goes off the road or is in an accident, dial 911. By calling 911 you will receive priority and the 911 system may be able to find your location.
If you are hearing or speech impaired, as of this year, Coconino County has enabled texting to 911. If you are using the text to 911 feature, always provide your exact location and the nature of your emergency, avoid using slang or jargon, and never send photos, emojis, or videos. If you try to Text to 911 and service is not available, you will receive a bounce back message advising you to make a voice call to 911. More information on the text to 911 feature can be found in this press release from February 2021.
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GCVC Contact Station Moves Indoors
Beginning this Thursday, December 9, the Grand Canyon Visitor Center will transition to modified indoor operations. At this time, visitors will only be allowed in the entryway area between the exterior and interior doors of the building (see photo). Interpretation rangers will be stationed next to information tables inside the interior doors and hours will remain Thursday-Monday from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Per CDC guidance, masks will be required for all visitors and employees to enter the building.
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Grand Canyon Community Corner
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GCC Invites Community Members to Holiday Sale
From December 6-10, Grand Canyon community members can enjoy 30% off their total purchase at open GCC retail locations (8 a.m.-6 p.m.), and at their online store. Use promo code COMMUNITY at checkout for online orders: https://shop.grandcanyon.org/
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Holiday Giving Tree through December 10
Every year around the holidays, Delaware North has a Holiday Giving Tree set up near the front of the General Store adorned with angel ornaments. Each angel represents a local child that may need some extra help this holiday season.
Delaware North is asking the community to “adopt” an angel off the tree and purchase a gift for them this holiday season. This year, Delaware North received more than 150 children signed up for the program. The tree is up at the Canyon Village Market now and those interested in participating are asked to have gifts returned by Friday, December 10. More information, including a flyer is available here.
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KLC Gift Wrapping Fundraiser through December 16
Support the Kaibab Learning Center (a nonprofit daycare located in Grand Canyon) this holiday season by having all of your holiday gifts wrapped with no hassle.
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Community Bike Ride-Saturday, December 18
Join community members on a monthly bike ride around the Grand Canyon neighborhood! This month’s theme is holiday sweaters and meeting time will be at 10 a.m. at the corner of Albright Ave. and Center Road.
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Current Operational Hours
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Please note: new operational changes are posted below in red.
South Rim
Xanterra
- Maswik Lodge Cafeteria, 6:30 a.m.-8 p.m.
- Bright Angel Coffee Shop, 7 a.m.-11 a.m.
- Bright Angel Fountain Grab and go, 11 a.m.- 6p.m.
- Fred Harvey Burger, 10 a.m.- 3 p.m.
- Fred Harvey Tavern, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
- Xanterra Food Truck has closed for the winter season
Delaware North
- Yavapai Lodge Tavern and Patio, 12-9 p.m.
- Yavapai Lodge Coffee Shop, 7 a.m.-12 p.m.
- Canyon Village Market, 7 a.m.-8 p.m., Deli-7 a.m.-2 p.m.
- Delaware North will be hosting its annual employee recognition event this Saturday, December 11. The Canyon Village Market and Yavapai Tavern will close at 7PM so those associates may attend the event.
Other
- Bright Angel Bikes, Rentals: 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Cafe: 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
- Grand Canyon Visitor Center Indoor Operation: 9 a.m.-4 p.m, Thursday-Monday
- Grand Canyon Conservancy stores (Kolb Studio, Verkamps Visitor Center, Visitor Center Plaza, and Yavapai Geology Museum), 8 a.m.-6 p.m. daily.
Desert View
- Desert View Trading Post Coffee and Ice Cream and Market, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily
- Desert View Watchtower, staffed by GCC, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily
The following park closures remain in place:
- South Rim Visitor Center (indoors)
- Headquarters Information Desk
- Yavapai Lodge Restaurant
- Maswik Pizza Pub and the Arizona Steakhouse
- North Rim services (tentative reopen-May 15, 2022)
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Photo Credits (in order of appearance)
- View from Lookout Studio on the South Rim on December 7, 2021 (NPS Photo/M. Quinn)
- Grand Canyon Superintendent, Ed Keable, receives his COVID booster dose (and a complimentary lollipop from a medical provider at the recent vaccine event at the Rec Center on December 9 (NPS Photo/S. Acomb)
- View from Yavapai Geology Museum (NPS Photo/M. Quinn)
- Desert View Drive closure near Yaki Road with an NPS patrol vehicle and snowman (NPS Photo)
- Modified indoor operation setup at the Grand Canyon Visitor Center became effective on December 9 (NPS Photo)
- Vaccine event at the Grand Canyon Rec Center on December 9. (NPS Photo/J. Baird)
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