VANCOUVER -- The mayor of Whistler, B.C. is asking residents to "refocus their efforts" on stopping the spread of COVID-19 in the resort municipality.
In a statement posted on the municipality's website Thursday, Mayor Jack Crompton writes that the community is "seeing a concerning increase" in coronavirus cases.
"Like all communities across B.C., we are seeing COVID-19 spreading through gatherings in homes and workplaces," Crompton writes in the statement. "The B.C. Centre for Disease Control reported that last week, positive cases in the Howe Sound health area within Vancouver Coastal Health rose from 14 to 63. I can tell you many of those cases are here in Whistler."
In his message, the mayor asks residents to follow public health recommendations by not gathering with other households, keeping their distance at work, and staying home and getting tested if they feel ill.
"If you have been contacted by (Vancouver Coastal Health) and asked to self-isolate please follow their directions and stay home for the full 14-day period," Crompton writes. "You cannot ski or ride if you’ve been told to self-isolate."
He also invites residents to join him on a community Zoom call scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Thursday, noting that local government and non-profit leaders, as well as health officials, will be on the call to help answer questions.
"This is not the time for us to look for loopholes," Crompton writes. "The virus is not picky. We are seeing cases across all segments of our community. It’s time for us to come together as a community and commit our efforts to stopping COVID-19 in its tracks."
