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COVID-19 (Coronavirus)

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Last updated: January 21 (5:00 p.m.)

Revised provincial health officer orders took effect on Thursday, January 20, 2022, at 12:01 a.m.

Under this revised order, adult indoor individual and group fitness or exercise activities are allowed to resume operations with increased safety protocols and capacity limits, including:

  • 7 square metres of space between workout machines or people in a group class, up to a maximum of 25 people
  • Masks worn at all times, except when actively exercising
  • Pre-bookings for drop-in individual fitness where operationally possible

All other health orders announced last month, including closure of nightclubs/bars, and capacity limits on gatherings and events, have been extended to February 16, 2022.

All businesses in BC must have a COVID-19 Safety Plan.

Employers must:

  • Re-activate & publicly post their COVID-19 Safety Plan
  • Use business-specific safety measures
  • Have a plan for when workers are off sick

Learn more: http://worksafebc.com/covid-19

STAY HOME

  • Even if you only have mild symptoms, stay home and away from others.  The Omicron variant can feel exactly like a regular cold, sore throat, or headache. 
  • Don’t go up the mountain to ski or ride. The snow will still be there when your symptoms go away.

GET TESTED IF YOU HAVE SERIOUS SYMPTOMS OF ILLESS (ie shortness of breath), OR IF YOU HAVE NOT BEEN VACCINATED AGAINST COVID-19

  • Call the COVID-19 testing line at 604-966-1428 to book an appointment for a regular PCR COVID test. *Please note: Due to high call volume, it may take a few hours for your call to be returned. Healthcare workers are working diligently to respond to the high demand and will return all calls as soon as possible.

DO NOT GET TESTED IF YOU HAVE HAD TWO DOSES OF A COVID-19 VACCINE AND MILD SYMPTOMS

  • In order to preserve testing capacity for those at high risk of severe disease from COVID-19 the Sea to Sky Division of Family Practice, which manages COVID-19 testing in Whistler, is asking anyone who has two vaccine doses and mild symptoms to not get tested and instead, stay home for five days or until your symptoms go away, whichever is longer.  After this, you should continue to wear a mask at all times for an additional 5 days.

DO NOT GET TESTED IF YOU DO NOT HAVE ANY SYMPTOMS

  • Rapid tests from the Sea to Sky Division of Family Practice are not available to people who do not have any symptoms and they are not valid for travel.
  • Please do not request a rapid test because you want to “make sure” you don’t have COVID-19 before a weekend getaway with friends or a family gathering. The test does not work that way and cannot be used as a “green light” to say you don’t have COVID.  The test detects COVID antigen in your nose.  You can have an early infection and still test negative. 

Visit www.whistlermedicalclinic.com for more information about COVID-19 testing in Whistler.

Find additional medical support in Whistler at https://divisionsbc.ca/sea-sky

By order of the provincial health officer, proof of vaccination is required to access some events, services and businesses. As of October 24, you must be fully vaccinated (2 doses).

The RMOW requires proof of vaccination, a BC Vaccine Card and one piece of valid government photo ID, for anyone age 12 and older to access Meadow Park Sports Centre and certain classes at Myrtle Philip Community Centre.

The B.C. vaccine card will NOT be required to access other RMOW services and municipal business including:

  • Service at the municipal hall customer service desk
  • Transit
  • Whistler Public Library
  • Meetings of Council and municipal business (ie. public hearings, information open houses)

The requirement is in place until January 31, 2022, subject to extension.

For information on the COVID-19 immunization program and to find the nearest clinic, visit vch.ca/vaccine.

Dose 1 and Dose 2

Drop-ins are now welcome for dose 1 or dose 2 at all VCH COVID-19 vaccination clinics on a first-come, first-served basis, depending on your eligibility and vaccine availability. People 12+ are eligible to be vaccinated and you are eligible for a second dose 28 days after your first dose. 

Vaccination for children ages 5 to 11

All children ages 5 to 11 are now eligible to receive a COVID-19 pediatric vaccine. B.C. parents and guardians are encouraged to register their children to get vaccinated and book their appointment as soon as they are invited. 

Booster doses

People 70+ who are registered in the Get Vaccinated System, as well as Indigenous Peoples 18+, will soon be invited to book their booster, which will help maintain protection against COVID-19. You must make an appointment for a third dose or booster shot.

Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine

A limited supply of the single dose Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine is expected to arrive soon. This is a single-dose vaccine that will be available to priority groups including health care workers.  One dose of the Janssen vaccine qualifies the recipient as fully vaccinated under the Provincial Health Officer’s Orders that require vaccination to work in the health sector.  If you are a health care worker who is not yet fully vaccinated and wish to make an appointment to receive the Janssen vaccine, please contact VCH:

  • If you live within the Lower Mainland, call the VCH Travel Clinic directly at 604-736-9244 to book an appointment and specify that you would like to receive the Janssen vaccine.

The COVID-19 Closure Relief Grant will provide fully funded grants to businesses that had to close due to the December 22, 2021 Provincial Health Officer (PHO) orders.

To be eligible, businesses must meet the following requirements:

  • The business has been in operation and registered in B.C. as of November 1, 2021
  • The business had to fully close to comply with the December 22, 2021 Provincial Health Officer orders. Examples of businesses ordered to closed include:
    • Bars, nightclubs and lounges that do not serve full meals
    • Pilates and yoga studios
    • Barre and spin studios
    • Gyms offering indoor high or low intensity group exercise classes
    • Event venues that can no longer hold events

Find out more at: COVID-19 Closure Relief Grant - Province of British Columbia (gov.bc.ca)

​

Masks must be worn in all indoor public spaces throughout B.C. to help slow the transmission of COVID-19 as B.C. prepares for the fall and respiratory illness season.

A new order from the provincial health officer requires people 5 and older to wear masks in indoor public settings, regardless of vaccination status. These settings include:

  • malls, shopping centres, coffee shops and retail and grocery stores;
  • liquor and drug stores;
  • airports, city halls, libraries, community and recreation centres;
  • restaurants, pubs and bars (unless seated);
  • on public transportation, in a taxi or ride-sharing vehicle;
  • areas of office buildings where services to the public are provided;
  • common areas of sport and fitness centres when not engaged in physical activity;
  • common areas of post-secondary institutions and non-profit organizations; and
  • inside schools for all K-12 staff, visitors and students.

Stay informed

Visit whistler.ca for the latest news from the Resort Municipality of Whistler including advisories and notifications or follow the RMOW on social media. View the channel directory at whistler.ca/GetInvolved.

Social services

Whistler Community Services Society is able to provide assistance to anyone in our community struggling with proper self isolation. Whether you need food, hygiene products, financial assistance and connectivity- support is available.

Book an appointment with an outreach worker at mywcss.org/contact-outreach/.

There are a variety of programs and resources available to support the health and wellbeing of the Whistler community  throughout the COVID-19 situation. For more information about local, provincial and federal resources, visit the Community health and social services page.

Whistler Alert

Whistler Alert is Whistler’s emergency notification system. It is used only during emergencies where there is an immediate threat to lives or property. For example: an evacuation alert or order, shelter in place order or boil water notice.

Sign up to receive emergency notifications from Whistler Alert at whistler.ca/whistleralert.

The Resort Municipality of Whistler is committed to protecting the health and safety of its residents, visitors and staff. WorkSafe BC requires a COVID-19 Safety Plan for any business resuming operations following interruptions due to COVID-19. 

Facility-specific procedures have also been introduced to ensure safe operations as RMOW programs and services resume. Learn more. 

View the RMOW's COVID-19 Safety Plan and procedures.

It is important to note that the RMOW takes direction from Vancouver Coastal Health when it comes to decisions on public health issues. They are the lead agency on all public health matters in Whistler and are responsible for ensuring the health and safety and providing direction to the community if there were to be an outbreak. VCH works in concert with the BC Centre for Disease Control and the Public Health Agency of Canada and is the best organization to respond to questions about efforts to prevent transmission of the COVID-19 virus.

Two working groups comprised of community-wide representatives were formed in 2020 to coordinate Whistler's COVID-19 response and recovery efforts. Taking key information from community input as well as sector groups, the Whistler Recovery Working Group and the Social Services Working Group are helping to identify key short term actions for the municipality and other organizations toward pandemic recovery. Learn more.

RMOW Council presentations

2021

2020

View all video updates from Mayor Jack Crompton

2021

2020

On January 21, Mayor Crompton and Whistler Council joined doctors from the Whistler Health Care Centre and community leaders to share updates about the latest COVID-19 situation in Whistler and the steps being taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in our community. Questions and answers from the session is posted below.  Please note, this document will be updated as we receive responses from our panelists. If you were not able to attend the session, please email your questions to communications@whistler.ca.

Session panelists included:

  • Dr. John Harding, Medical Health Officer- Sea to Sky, Vancouver Coastal Health
  • Dr. Olivia Bailey and Dr. Karin Kausky, Whistler Health Care Centre
  • Lisa McCullough, Superintendent School District 48 (Sea to Sky)
  • Jackie Dickinson, Executive Director, Whistler Community Services Society
  • Geoff Buchheister, Chief Operating Officer, Whistler Blackcomb
  • Virginia Cullen, Chief Administrative Officer, Resort Municipality of Whistler
  • Barrett Fisher, President and CEO, Tourism Whistler
  • Melissa Pace, CEO Whistler Chamber of Commerce

Business guidelines for a safe restart 

All B.C. businesses are required to have a COVID-19 safety plan and will gradually transition to new communicable disease plans. The guidelines for these plans were released by WorkSafeBC on June 28, 2021. These guidelines were developed in consultation with public health and businesses and will continue to be supported by WorkSafeBC and the PHO as they transition during Step 3 of BC's restart plan.  For what you need to know to keep employees, the community and visitors safe, visit the whistler.ca/saferestart page. 

Public health​

If you are concerned about COVID-19 symptoms, do not go to the Whistler Medical Centre. Call 8-1-1 and follow the directions you are given. ​

VCH advises the most important steps residents and visitors can take to protect themselves and our community from COVID-19 are:

  • Wash your hands often and avoid touching your face. 
  • Stay home if you feel unwell, even with mild symptoms.
  • Limit contact with people who appear to be ill.

Additional information is available at:

Emergency planning

Emergency planning is core to the work a municipality does to ensure we can continue to provide services to the community, whether planning for a pandemic, flood or wildfire. We are required by provincial legislation to have a Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan in place that outlines how we would continue essential municipal services if facing a hazard in the community. We encourage all residents to visit whistler.ca/emergency to find out how to prepare for any emergency that may affect our community.

Related Files

Emergency Operations Centre update: April 7, 2020
Emergency Operations Centre update: April 21, 2020
COVID-19 Fact Sheet: January 21, 2021
Frequently Asked Questions from Community Information Session (January 28)
Isolation Preparedness Checklist
COVID-19 poster: Five common questions
Frequently Asked Questions from Community Information Session (February 5)
COVID-19 Fact Sheet: February 12, 2021
COVID-19 in Whistler: A Coordinated Community Approach
VCH COVID-19 Vaccine Update: June 18, 2021

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The Resort Municipality of Whistler is grateful to be on the shared, unceded territory of the Lil’wat People, known in their language as L̓il̓wat7úl, and the Squamish People, known in their language as Sḵwx̱wú7mesh. We respect and commit to a deep consideration of their history, culture, stewardship and voice.

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