Aramark to lay off 975 in Colorado, most at Coors Field

DENVER (AP) — A large food service contractor has announced plans to lay off 975 workers in Colorado, most of whom work at Coors Field and are responsible for concession stands that are now closed.

Aramark informed the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment on Tuesday that the company plans to dismiss 71 bartenders at the Mission Ballroom in Denver and 904 workers at Coors Field, where the Colorado Rockies play, The Denver Post reported.

The stadium workers include beverage attendants, cashiers, cooks, food prep workers, bussers, hosts, security workers, suite attendants and food stand staff. Many have no one to serve because no fans are allowed at Major League Baseball games in an effort to limit the spread of COVID-19.

“Aramark has experienced unprecedented disruption to our business caused by the COVID-19 global pandemic,” the company told the state in two separate letters filed under the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment said that weekly COVID-19 cases reached a record high of 6,722 last week, more than triple the low of 2,016 reported the last week of August.

The number of infections is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected with the virus without feeling sick.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some — especially older adults and people with existing health problems — it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death.