Surrey closes pools and recreation centres while Vancouver limits capacity

Mar 15 2020, 10:28 pm

Metro Vancouver municipalities are closing or putting limits on their public recreation facilities amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The City of Surrey is closing all of its recreation centres, ice rinks, pools, and libraries starting Monday, March 16 until further notice, the city said in a news release.

“Given the ongoing concerns surrounding COVID-19, I am taking a proactive approach to ensure the health and safety of our residents,” said Mayor Doug McCallum. “I would encourage everyone to take advantage of this spell of good weather to get outside.”

Meanwhile, the City of Vancouver is putting a cap on the number of people who can use their recreation facilities at a time, Mayor Kennedy Stewart said in a statement Sunday. No more than 250 people may use a city pool at one time, and hot tubs and saunas are completely closed.

“We will be suspending additional non-essential programs and services over the coming week. We will provide details of those changes on Monday,” Stewart said.

“These changes will also allow us to re-allocate some of our staff and supplies to our COVID response, and to ensure that essential services can be maintained for the public.”

In addition to this, West Vancouver announced it will be closing all district-run public facilities on March 16, at 8 pm.

This includes all West Vancouver community centres and cultural facilities but does not include Municipal Hall, the West Vancouver Police Station, all Fire Halls, the Operations Centre, and the Capilano View Cemetery.

With coronavirus on the rise, Health Canada is reminding individuals who attend events and large gatherings to monitor their health for signs and symptoms of COVID-19. And if you’re not feeling well, they recommend staying home at this time. Also, due to unexpected cancellations, please check the event you plan to attend is still taking place. Keep up with COVID-19 news here.

Megan DevlinMegan Devlin

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