A Peace Arch RV Park resident says that not all returning snowbirds are self-isolating for 14 days – which is a requirement of the provincial government due to the threat of COVID-19 transmission – and park management is doing little to inform its residents.
“One unit has returned and they are not self-isolating,” the resident, who requested her name not be used out of fear of repercussions, said. She added that there was a “fight,” which she did not witness, in the shared laundry facility because of the COVID-19 concern.
“There’s so many seniors here, and many of the seniors are the ones that use the shared laundry.”
However, a representative of the park says reports that snowbirds are not self-isolating upon their arrival are not true.
“They know the minute they come in, themselves, they say they’re parking the RV and they’ll be inside, no worries. That’s all we hear,” a representative of the park said, who did not provide her full name.
“Right away, they don’t even come inside the office, they stay at the door.”
The representative told PAN that she’s not aware of a fight in the laundry facility, adding that there are “so much lies going around.” Surrey RCMP could not confirm a police report relating to the alleged fight.
However, the resident said, staff members were aware of the altercation that allegedly occurred in the laundry room.
“They are lying,” she wrote to PAN. “The park employee told me he witnessed the fight.”
The resident said she’s expecting more snowbirds to return home from the U.S. to the RV park, and that there’s no signage at the park advising of the required 14-day self-isolation.
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“Within literally minutes when those (residents) pulled back in, the party line was going. Everybody was out talking and talking about this site… The residents would like to know what we can expect from the snowbirds and staff,” the resident said.
The park representative said there’s a number of rumours circulating around the park.
“It’s crazy. You don’t have to believe everything that they say,” the representative said.
The representative said there are signs throughout the park advising of protocols residents can follow to limit the spread of COVID-19, but they don’t explicitly tell snowbirds to self-isolate for 14 days.
“The notes that we have are the same that the City of Surrey RV park is doing. We followed them,” the representative said.
Wednesday morning, B.C. Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth declared a provincial state of emergency due to COVID-19.
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Farnworth was asked what powers the province has to enforce isolation for residents who are ordered to do so.
“There are powers available under the public health emergency that’s been declared to ensure that if people are flagrantly abusing, or not following those instructions that they can be made to.”
Asked if the province has received reports of people not self-isolating, Farnworth said that, to date, people have been doing the right thing.
“But we know that there are always those who chose not to. It’s a big province.”
