While most COVID-19 restrictions and precautions have now been removed in Ouray County, there were almost 500 cases of the virus locally in 2022, almost half of which came during the January surge of the omicron variant.

Ouray County Public Health reported 193 cases of the virus in January, part of a nationwide wave of the variant that was able to evade immunity from vaccinations or prior infection more easily than previous mutations of the virus. Those cases made up 41% of the 470 cases reported...