The Royal City Curling Club is closing its doors until the new year in the face of new COVID-19 health orders.
The club announced in a Facebook post on Thursday, Dec. 3 that, in light of a briefing by provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry on Dec. 2, it will close until at least Jan. 2.
The post notes that the club’s board of directors, management and COVID committee will meet before then to “assess the COVID-19 landscape” and communicate its next steps to members.
The club has faced some COVID-19-related challenges this fall, with eight COVID-19 cases associated with the club reported in October and November.
The club responded with a temporary closure and reopened with updated safety measures and new guidelines for curlers. The reopening was delayed after evolving provincial health orders first brought indoor physical activity to a halt and later clarified that curling was, in fact, permitted to continue.
In November, the club also ran into a number of questions about who would be allowed to play in the New Westminster facility given travel restrictions surrounding sports.
On Dec. 2, the provincial health order was expanded to prohibit “adult team sport in any place,” including curling. After that, the club announced it would close its doors until 2021.
“The past few months have been an incredibly challenging time for all of us. I want to thank all of you for your patience and support,” says the Dec. 3 Facebook post from club president Stephen Kopf and manager Mike Munsie.
