Don't come to Kelowna unless you're vaccinated, mayor says amid COVID-19 outbreak
As the mayor of a destination city during peak tourist season, Colin Basran is sharing a message he thought he'd never have to: Stay away from Kelowna.
"For the first time ever, I'm telling people to stay away from our city if they aren't vaccinated," Basran said Thursday.
That's also the message in surrounding cities as the Central Okanagan, a tourist destination that normally sees visitors from around the province and other parts of Canada, deals with a surge in COVID-19 cases.
Dr. Bonnie Henry said the same: People who aren't fully vaccinated should not be travelling to Kelowna, West Kelowna, Peachland or Lake Country.
In a statement, Tourism Kelowna said it supported the move. For those planning travel to the region, president Lisanne Ballantyne recommended calling ahead and getting official information. "We can still safely enjoy summer if we do the right thing, remain patient, and be kind to each other," the statement said.
Interior Health said many of the cases are linked to parties and to the service industry, where staff often work at multiple businesses. As of July 29, the health authority said about a dozen wineries, restaurants and bars had voluntarily closed. No business was forced to close.
The biggest change in the Central Okanagan is the return of a mask mandate requiring everyone 12 and older to cover up in indoor public spaces. Outside, masks are recommended.
Health official noted extreme heat and poor air quality can force people indoors, and when a large number of people aren't fully vaccinated, it's a breeding ground for the highly contagious Delta variant. Outbreak protocols will remain in place until transmission rates go down and immunizations go up.
Ninety seven per cent of recent cases were in those not fully vaccinated.
That's why the Kelowna mayor has another message for those who have yet to seek out shots.
"Stop putting your health, other people's health and people's ability to make a living in jeopardy," Basran said. "Because that's what you're doing."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Arrest made, manslaughter charge pending in 2022 death of Calgary toddler
Calgary police have arrested a man and a charge is pending in connection with the death of a toddler in 2022.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Where did the gold go? Crime expert weighs in on unfolding Pearson Airport heist investigation
Almost 7,000 bars of pure gold were stolen from Pearson International Airport exactly one year ago during an elaborate heist, but so far only a tiny fraction of that stolen loot has been found.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
Here's why experts don't think cloud seeding played a role in Dubai's downpour
Scientists say it's highly unlikely cloud seeding is responsible for the heavy rains that have caused flooding in the United Arab Emirates this month, and that climate change is the more likely culprit.
Doug Ford calls on Ontario Speaker to reverse Queen's Park keffiyeh ban
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling on Speaker Ted Arnott to reverse a ban on keffiyehs at Queen's Park, describing the move as “needlessly” divisive.
Trump lawyers say Stormy Daniels refused subpoena outside a Brooklyn bar, papers left 'at her feet'
Donald Trump's legal team says it tried serving Stormy Daniels a subpoena as she arrived for an event at a bar in Brooklyn last month, but the porn actor, who is expected to be a witness at the former president's criminal trial, refused to take it and walked away.