All recreational centres and other non-essential facilities operated by the City of Abbotsford will close by the end of Monday.
The move is the latest in a sweeping series of cancellations and closures across B.C. and Canada to attempt to stem the spread of COVID-19.
The Abbotsford Recreation Centre will close at midnight, the Matsqui Recreationi Centre will close at 10 p.m., the Matsqui Centennial Auditorium and MSA Arena will close immediately. The Reach Gallery Museum, which isn’t directly operated by the city, has also announced it was closing its doors to the public.
The city said the ARC and MRC will be open Tuesday only for ongoing children’s day camps, to allow parents to find alternate child care. They will each be fully closed by Wednesday.
The city says ARC and MRC memberships will be place on hold until the facilities re-open and that anyone who has paid for a program at a closed location will receive a refund.
“This is a time for our community to support one another by practicing social distancing as a way to care for our neighbors who are most at-risk,” Mayor Henry Braun said in a press release. “Safety and the wellbeing of our community is at the forefront of our decision-making.”
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