OLDS - Facing no increased mandatory restrictions, a sports club in Olds has shut down temporarily in a bid to help stop the spread of COVID-19.
The board of directors of the Olds Curling Club announced on Nov. 13 that the club is closing for two weeks.
“We take this decision very seriously and hope that these closures are enough to drop cases significantly,” stated the board of directors in its announcement.
A day previous, the province announced a two-week ban on indoor group fitness classes, team sport activities and group performance activities in Edmonton and surrounding areas, Calgary and surrounding areas, Grande Prairie, Fort McMurray, Red Deer and Lethbridge.
Curling Alberta also announced that curlers residing in enhanced status areas -- that includes Mountain View County, Carstairs, Cremona, Didsbury, and Sundre -- should not travel for the purposes of training, competitions or bonspiels for the next two weeks.
As of yesterday, Olds remained in open status. New mandatory restrictions are in place for enhanced status areas now that cases in the region have reached at least 10 active cases and more than 50 active cases per 100,000 population as per AHS guidelines.
"Many of our members reside in the county and neighbouring areas so we have little control if these individuals come into the club from enhanced areas," the curling club's board of directors said.
The club's closure comes just days after the club notified members through a Nov. 8 statement that a member who was last in the building for ladies curling on Nov. 3 had tested positive for COVID-19.
And, due to the recent public health measures announced, effective Nov. 13, the Town of Olds will not be providing ice bookings at the Sportsplex to individuals/groups from areas where a ban on team sport activities is in place.
Alberta Junior Hockey League games will continue in town. The league is exempt from this measure as it has advanced protocols in place and has been working with provincial authorities directly to ensure the league and their teams are in compliance with needed protocols.
