Industry News
This past Friday, Dr. Shane Barclay, a doctor from interior BC, wrote that 15 out of 40 tests taken at Sun Peaks Resort within two days last week came back positive, a sign that prompted him to urge the community about a potential new outbreak cluster within the province.
In response, Sun Peaks Resort issued a statement saying,
“Within the past two days, we have seen positive COVID-19 tests within the community at Sun Peaks. This has involved staff members in various resort departments, including our food and beverage operation. The priority in these situations has always been, and continues to be the health and safety of resort staff, guests, and the local community.”
Sun Peaks urged anyone who has any concern about potentially being exposed to Covid-19 to get tested immediately. BC’s Interior Health has yet to declare the recent positive cases in Sun Peaks as a ‘cluster,’ but with the initial numbers, Dr. Barclay believes there to be many more active cases.
Many BC resorts this past ski season have been caught up in Covid-19 outbreaks, most notably Big White’s staff housing outbreak and rising cases in Whistler, which cut its season short by two months.
Ski resorts in BC have been especially vulnerable to Covid-19 outbreaks due to many offering group living quarters for their employees. This situation makes it easy for the virus to spread and especially hard to isolate once brought into resort employee communities.
Sun Peaks also noted that full contact tracing protocols are currently in effect and that everyone should remain at home unless it is absolutely necessary to travel.
As Covid-19 cases reach an all-time high in BC, this news may come as no surprise to some. It will be interesting to see how resorts can continue to operate safely under the provincial guidelines going into the summer.
Typo: Sun Peaks went on to urge ‘anyway’…. should be anyone
Got it, thanks!