VANCOUVER -- Grouse Mountain and Mt. Seymour have announced they are closing over concerns about COVID-19.
Mt. Seymour said it will be shutting down as of 5 p.m. on Monday and will be closed for the rest of the season.
Grouse has suspended its operations and will be closed until further notice. The resort said it was taking the step as a precaution to help encourage social distancing. The suspension will take effect at 6 p.m. on Monday.
"While we had hoped we could continue to offer our guests a safe, outdoor place of escape, we are taking this action as a precaution," Michael Cameron, president of Grouse Mountain, said in a news release.
"During this period there will be no upload or download access to/from the Mountain and all mountaintop and base activities and facilities will be closed."
Seymour said guests who have pre-purchased passes to check the resort's website for information before trying to call.
"We are anticipating a heavy volume of calls and emails to our guest services department and many questions on our social media platforms, so we thank you in advance for your patience as we work to address your concerns and inquiries," Mt. Seymour said in a news release.
"Stay healthy, active and look after each other so that we can all rise above this challenge and return to everyday life once the pandemic has passed."
The announcements from Grouse and Seymour come after Vail Resorts, which owns Whistler Blackcomb, as well as Cypress Mountain, announced over the weekend they would be suspending their operations over concerns about COVID-19.
On Monday, the provincial government announced gatherings of more than 50 people would be banned to help stop the spread of the novel coronavirus.
