COVID-19 community cluster at Big White

Sixty cases of COVID-19 have been connected to Big White Mountain.

Interior Health (IH) has announced a cluster linked to the popular ski area east of Kelowna.

“Our investigation reveals 60 cases of COVID-19 related to Big White; mostly from transmission related to shared housing. All identified cases are required to self-isolate and public health continues to follow-up directly with their close contacts with guidance and support,” an IH news release stated.

The health agency said large households and social gatherings appear to be responsible for much of the transmission related to the cluster.

“This highlights the importance of limiting social activities and following COVID-19 protocols when indoors,” the release added.

Interior Health is supporting the community with outreach testing throughout the Big White community.

IH said the risk is low for families and individuals visiting Big White who stick to their immediate household bubble and avoid socializing and gathering with people outside their immediate bubble.

“We thank the community leadership at Big White for their ongoing support and collaboration, and we are confident with the safety plan in place by Big White Ski Resort Ltd. Outdoor activities at Big White are considered safe for anyone following public health direction such as physical distancing, wearing a face covering, and staying home when sick,” the release continued.

“Big White Ski Resort Ltd. wants to assure you we are taking this matter incredibly seriously,” said resort senior vice president Michael J. Ballingall. “We are meeting with the ownership group and will be acting quickly and decisively to address the living conditions of our staff residing outside of our managed residences. We are not aware of any transmission in our company’s workplaces, this includes transmissions between employees at work and transmissions between employees and guests. Our main priority is protecting the health of our staff and all those that visit and use Big White Ski Resort.

“We are working alongside Interior Health on many fronts, and we are reminded these cases are the result of group housing and social gatherings. We are speaking with community members, the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary and RCMP to mitigate the risk and eliminate further spread,” Ballingall added.