Saanich has followed suit with Victoria and announced the cancellation of all programs and drop-in activities at recreation centres starting Tuesday March 17th.
According to a statement on Monday evening, the municipality is cancelling these activities at Saanich Commonwealth Place, Pearkes, Gordon Head and Cedar Hill recreation centres until further notice to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
Credits will be issued to anyone who has registered for activities affected by these closures, and Saanich staff will automatically apply the appropriate credit to Active Net accounts.
However refund requests will be processed at a later date.
Day camps will remain in service until Friday, March 20th, pending additional direction from the provincial government, but Saanich encourages the public to make other child care arrangements given the possibility that these camps could close at any time.
“The decision to keep these programs operating was done in line with guidance from the BC Centre for Disease Control and the Medical Health Office. We will continue to take our direction from the Province and will advise parents and care givers of any changes as soon as possible,” reads a statement from the municipality.
Certain services at these recreation centres including massage, kinesiology, etc. will remain available for patients who require them, and patrons who use these services will be informed of any changes directly.
The golf course remains open at this time.
“As the COVID-19 situation unfolds, we are taking proactive measures to ensure the health and safety of our residents and staff,” said Mayor Fred Haynes.
“While we know that recreation is a key part of our community, it’s important that we all do our part to mitigate risk and exposure to COVID-19.”
Haynes calls for the public to continue to explore parks and natural areas in Saanich and take advantage of the warmer weather.
See all the latest updates about the global COVID-19 pandemic on Vancouver Island
There are now 30 new cases of novel coronavirus in B.C., including seven on Vancouver Island, bringing the total number of cases to 103 in the province.
Six people are now in acute care in hospital, while everyone else is recovering at home in isolation, in stable condition. Three people have died due to novel coronavirus, all of whom were residents at the Lynn Valley Care Centre in North Vancouver. This brings the COVID-19 death toll to four in B.C.
Earlier today, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that the federal government will be denying entry to Canada to people who are not Canadian citizens or permanent residents in Canada.
Designated exceptions to this rule include U.S. citizens, airline crews, diplomats, and people whose immediate families are Canadian.
Moreover international flights will now be restricted to international airports in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, and Calgary.
Further federal measures to financially support Canadians, particularly the most vulnerable population, are expected to be announced on Tuesday.
The BCCDC has set up a 2019 novel coronavirus telephone information line at 1-833-784-4397 for those who have further questions about this disease.
Anyone concerned that they may have been exposed to, or are experiencing symptoms of the novel coronavirus, should contact their primary care provider, local public health office, or call 8-1-1.
As of the time of publication, the total number of COVID-19 patients worldwide has risen to 182,550.
Nearly 7,170 people have died from the illness and 79,881 have made a full recovery.
