Vaughan closes fitness centres, swimming pools and some libraries amid COVID-19 staffing shortages

Ctvnews.ca
Jan. 4, 2022
Chris Fox

The City of Vaughan is temporarily closing all of its fitness centres and swimming pools and some of its libraries due to pandemic-related staffing shortages.

The city made the announcement in a news release issued on Tuesday morning.

It says that all of its fitness centres and swimming pools will close as of Thursday and in-recreational programming at community centres will be cancelled as well.

The city says that “decisions around in-person winter recreational programming have not been made at this time and will be dependent on Omicron data and staffing resources.”

Meanwhile, Vaughan Public Libraries will also be closing its community branches as of Thursday, though its three resource libraries - Bathurst Clark, Civic Centre and Pierre Berton -- will remain open for now.

Curbside pickup will also continue to be offered at shuttered branches from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. every day.

The closure of a swath of city facilities comes amid a surge in COVID-19 infections that is expected to present new challenges for employers, given the large number of people who will need to isolate following a positive test or an exposure to a confirmed case.

In the release, the City of Vaughan said that it is “experiencing staffing shortages due to COVID-19,” though it noted that essential services remain “uninterrupted.”

“All decisions about closing and opening facilities and amenities continue to be informed by Vaughan-specific data and reflect guidance issued by York Region Public Health and the provincial government -- with public safety being the top priority,” the release notes. “The City of Vaughan remains committed to continued collaboration with all levels of government as the pandemic evolves, which allows the city to make well-informed, responsible and measured decisions to help stop the spread of COVID-19.”

It is not immediately clear when the facilities will reopen. The city says that anyone with a membership to a city fitness centre or swimming pool will have their payments automatically suspended for the duration of the closure.