A cluster of COVID-19 cases in Revelstoke is linked to people travelling there for recreation, according to the Premier.
John Horgan did not provide details, but says it was “a bad choice,” as the cluster in Revelstoke has now grown to 46 cases as of Tuesday afternoon.
“That’s not acceptable… we’re living with those consequences. People need to be mindful of the choices they make and the consequences they have. Not just on themselves and their families, but other people as well,” Horgan says.
“We have been warning communities since March that COVID-19 is in British Columbia, and we are in the midst of a global pandemic. There is no safe place. Nunavut has COVID… we need people to understand that.”
Meanwhile, Dr. Albert de Villiers, the chief medical health officer for Interior Health, says there is no one specific incident that has led to the cluster in Revelstoke.
“So I think there’s different pieces of this; there’s not one person who travelled in and caused all these other things,” de Villiers says.
“There’s been some that are kind of community full-household clusters. Some people picked it up when they went to a specific worksite, some people might’ve gone to a private function, based on rumours out, that we haven’t able to substantiate, that somebody went to a hot springs somewhere.”
De Villiers says it’s a reminder to avoid non-essential travel, saying, “sadly, skiing is not essential for most people.”
He also says the number of cases in the cluster will only be updated on Tuesdays and Fridays.
Local leaders in Revelstoke say the small resort municipality is being challenged as businesses and residents try to reduce the spread of COVID-19.