The Kelowna COVID-19 cluster was identified through contact tracing back to private parties held at two separate resorts, Health Minister Adrian Dix confirmed Monday.
On Saturday, Interior Health announced potential exposure at Discovery Bay Resort (1088 Sunset Dr., Kelowna) from July 1 to 5 and Boyce Gyro Beach Lodge (3591 Lakeshore Rd., Kelowna) on July 1.
Cases identified in both Vancouver Coastal Health and Fraser Health were traced back to those parties, Dix said, and it was learned that at least one of those individuals visited the downtown Cactus Club and PACE Spin Studio. An advisory issued on Sunday, July 12, suggests patrons of either of those businesses self-monitor for symptoms.
READ MORE: Interior Health identifies more locations with COVID-19 exposure in Kelowna
READ MORE: COVID-19 cases identified in Kelowna, after public gatherings
“This is the work, almost the detective work, of public health,” Dix said during a press conference with Interior Health officials on July 13.
Dix gave credit to Kelowna businesses which he said have been doing a very good job in keeping tourists and residents safe.
“But when people come together for private parties — in this case, it’s largely people in their 20s and 30s — the risks are considerably higher,” he said.
“They tend to be in enclosed spaces. They tend to involve people coming from different places, different walks of life, who may not know each other at all and the risks of those kinds of events are higher. It’s why we have limits on the overall sizes of gatherings, organized gatherings, but people I think have to show good judgement with respect to events.”
Dix said travelling is okay, but to show as much respect to the city you’re in as you do to your home community.
“We can do things out in the world but we have to be conscious of physical distancing.”
When asked if the resorts should have taken further precautions, Dix again reiterated the importance of personal responsibility for one’s own decision making.
“You have obligations too, you have responsibilities too. and if you’re going to go and accept an invitation to such an event you have to keep the risks of that in mind,” he said.
“We have got to live with COVID-19 for the next year, so that means the responsibility is on all of us, I think.”
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