After shutting down Monday morning because of a COVID-19 scare, Oliver’s town hall is re-opening.
“The information is that town staff tested negative for the COVID-19 virus, which is great news, and we are excited to move forward,” mayor Martin Johansen told Global News.
The town hall closed as a precautionary measure when one of its staff members reported feeling unwell.
“What we have to be totally aware of right now is when someone is not feeling well, we have to assume the worst,” Johansen said.
“Until we can confirm that it’s not COVID-19, we need to do everything we can to protect everybody.”
The town is also dealing with a quarantine order at the Krazy Cherry Fruit Company farm.
On Monday, Interior Health (IH) said two workers at the farm tested positive for COVID-19.
As a result, IH has ordered three dozen temporary foreign workers and another nine individuals working on the farm to quarantine.
“It’s extremely concerning,” Johansen said. “It affects everybody in the community.
“That farm is just on the outskirts of town, so I imagine before the tests were positive, people were out in the community shopping, potentially gathering in our parks, interacting with people in the communities, so that is a huge concern.”
Those who have been placed under quarantine are restricted from leaving the farm, and access to the property is restricted with the exception of essential supply deliveries, according to the health authority.
News of the positive COVID test results at the fruit farm are also concerning for the tourism-reliant town.
“It’s important for us to be restarting our economy and having people travel here, but the other side of the coin is we need people, when they do travel here, to be respectful and practice the rules of social distancing,” Johansen said. “Everybody is in this together.”
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