A snowboarder glides under the Powder Chair at Big White ski resort near Kelowna, B.C. in this file photo from Jan. 30, 2008.Nearly 180 cases of COVID-19 have been tied to staff at three ski resorts in Western Canada as the industry works to stay afloat under tight health restrictions that have constrained their operations. The outbreaks have been blamed, in part, on crowded accommodations among staff.
Michael Ballingall, senior vice-president of Big White, said two COVID-19 infections last month were among staff in the company’s own accommodation units, but he said the majority of the initial cases occurred among staff in private accommodations not managed by Big White.Mr.
In November, six cases were identified over four different staff accommodations at Lake Louise Ski Resort. Resort spokesman Dan Markham said pro-active testing was the most effective way to contain the transmission. Positive cases related to the outbreak eventually grew to 19.Markham said about 85 to 90 per cent of resort staff were tested after the outbreak was declared, in part to try to catch all asymptomatic cases.