COVID-19 – City closes Hillside Stadium due to social-distancing worries

The City of Kamloops is closing Hillside Stadium effective immediately (Tuesday, March 24, 2020) due to social distancing concerns.

“Unfortunately, social distancing best practices are not being adhered to at Hillside Stadium and therefore the Emergency Operations Centre made the decision today to close this facility to the public,” said Mayor Ken Christian.

Monday, to encourage compliance with social distancing measures, the City closed all City-run play structures and also began the installation of signage about the importance of social distancing at all City parks, skate parks, dog parks, and courts.

“We will not hesitate to close down other public spaces or facilities if we continue to observe risk taking behaviours,” Christian said.

According to the Government of Canada*, social distancing means “making changes in your everyday routines in order to minimize close contact with others, including:

• avoiding crowded places and non-essential gatherings
• avoiding common greetings, such as handshakes
• limiting contact with people at higher risk (e.g. older adults and those in poor health)
• keeping a distance of at least 2 arms lengths (approximately 2 metres) from others, as much as possible”

* https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/diseases-conditions/social-distancing.html

The City’s Emergency Operations Centre continues to work with public health officials on the COVID-19 response. For up-to-date information, follow the City on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, and visit www.kamloops.ca/covid