November 13, 2020 – The Sedona Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Bureau has temporarily closed The Visitor Center at 331 Forest Road in Uptown after learning Friday that an employee who works at the Center tested positive for COVID-19.

“Our employee decided to get tested due to a family member’s illness here in Sedona.  He was not experiencing symptoms,” said Interim Chamber President and CEO Michelle Conway. “We are closing the Visitor Center out of an abundance of caution and requiring the staff and volunteers who worked with the employee at the Center to be tested.”

Once all tests come back negative, the Center will reopen, Conway said.

Strict Sedona | Safe.Clean.Ready  protocols are in place at the Visitor Center, such as limiting the number of people allowed inside, erecting Plexiglass shields to separate visitors and employees, requiring masks and social distancing, making hand sanitizer available and regularly cleaning surfaces.  “We view today’s closure and the required testing as part of the Sedona | Safe.Cean.Ready commitment,” she said. “We cannot be too careful.”

The Visitor Center will continue to operate virtually, keeping regular business hours of 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week. Visitor services will be offered via online web chat, telephone and email.  “Visitor outreach is critical to community safety and we need to keep education and information flowing to the hundreds of people who inquire each day,” Conway said.  “We have informed thousands of guests about Sedona’s safety practices and expectations through our ‘Sedona | Safe.Clean.Ready’ and ‘Mask Up, Sedona’ programs.”

She said neither personnel nor operations at the Chamber’s Sunset Drive offices are affected by the Visitor Center closure.

In June, the Visitor Center was closed temporarily when an employee tested positive after an out of town trip.  All tested staff and volunteers received negative results.

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