A Niagara Falls attraction, included in a viral video that stunned YouTube viewers with scenes of large crowds and little social distancing, has been closed until further notice after a worker tested positive for the coronavirus.
Director of marketing Joel Noden told Global News that the go-cart track was closed on Monday as Niagara public health did an inspection. They were notified of the COVID-19 case on Sunday.
“We went through all of our video footage,” said Noden. “Obviously, we’ve got security cameras everywhere and we checked to make sure that he was properly outfitted with a face mask and PPE and was taking proper precautions.”
Noden said the employee worked on July 7, 8, 12, 13, and 14. The closure will see roughly 50 staffers remain at home in self-isolation.
“We had the medical officer and health staff here on Monday to review everything that we were doing,” Noden said. “We were given a clean report saying … we were following all the proper steps and precautions.”
The speedway was open on Tuesday but shut down again on Wednesday after the video emerged and created a “fluid situation” said Noden.
The video taken on Clifton Hill Saturday night near attractions like the speedway, the Niagara Sky Wheel, and Dinosaur Adventure Golf shocked many YouTube viewers as large crowds and long lineups revealed little physical distancing amid the continuing coronavirus crisis.
“This is sad” and “this city is going to cause another spike and set Ontario back” were just some of the comments made on the Amusement Insiders YouTube channel, which featured video shot by Niagara Falls resident Cole Morningstar.
On Thursday morning, Niagara Falls Mayor Jim Diodati said the city would be “proactive” in light of the reaction to the video and implement an on-street campaign with employees offering free hand sanitizer as well as face masks at cost.
Noden says the Skyway, Dinosaur Gold, Movieland and Zombie Attack will remain open with additional COVID-19 safety measures.
“All of our staff have facemasks and PPE,” said Noden. “Actually, all of our attractions have been treated with the G.S. microbus which is the same thing used on transportation systems.”
Niagara Region reports 3 new COVID-19 cases
Niagara public health officials reported three more coronavirus cases on Thursday. The region now has 816 total cases, with 47 of them active.
The region has no new deaths. To date, 64 people have died in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic.
The region has six institutional outbreaks including Garden City Manor, Linhaven and Tabor Manor long-term care homes in St. Catharines. There’s also an outbreak at the Eventide Home on Jepson Street in Niagara Falls.
Niagara Region will move into Stage 3 of the province’s COVID-19 reopening plan on Friday.
The directive means most businesses and public spaces will now be able to open with “appropriate health and safety measures in place,” the province said in a release on Monday.
Several activities and business are not included in the expanded opening: large amusement parks, overnight camps for children, buffets, restaurants and bars with dancing, karaoke rooms, sports events with prolonged contact, saunas, steam rooms, bathhouses, oxygen bars, as well as casinos and gaming establishments will not be permitted to operate in Stage 3.
The move does allow social gathering limits to increase to a maximum of 50 people indoors, and 100 outdoors.
In a release, public health said playgrounds will be permitted to open on Friday.
Hamilton reports no new COVID-19 cases
On Thursday, Hamilton public health reported no new COVID-19 cases. The city’s overall case count since the pandemic began stands at 881, with 872 confirmed and nine probable.
The city says there have been 14 positive cases in the last 10 days with 10 new cases under the age of 30.
There were no new reported deaths on Thursday. The city has 44 total coronavirus-related deaths with 34 connected to an institutional outbreak.
The city has one current institutional outbreak at the Community Living Hamilton-Mountain Residence which is expected to be over by Friday.
A spokesperson for the home says all test results for staff and residents, administered when the outbreak occurred, have come back negative.
The testing included five staff members and four residents who were in contact with the staff member who tested positive, according to the home.
Halton Region with 33 active cases
Halton Region says it has 33 active cases as of Thursday. The region has had 887 total COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began including 818 confirmed positive and 84 probable cases.
The region still has 25 deaths tied to COVID-19 as of July 17, with 12 the result of an outbreak at an institution.
The region has no institutional outbreaks as of Thursday.
Haldimand-Norfolk reports two new COVID-19 cases
Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit (HNHU) added two new COVID-19 cases to its overall total of 448 lab-confirmed, positive cases as of Thursday.
Officials say 395 of those patients have since recovered.
The region has 32 COVID-19-connected deaths with 27 tied to residents at Anson Place Care Centre, a nursing home, in Hagersville.
Brant County reports no new COVID-19 cases
Brant County’s health unit (BCHU) reported no new COVID-19 cases on Thursday. The region has 136 total confirmed cases as of July 23.
The county still has four deaths, with 128 total resolved cases. There are no COVID-19 patients currently in hospital among the eight remaining active cases.
The region has one institutional outbreak at Briarwood Gardens Long-Term Care & Retirement Home.
Questions about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know:
Symptoms can include fever, cough and difficulty breathing — very similar to a cold or flu. Some people can develop a more severe illness. People most at risk of this include older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease. If you develop symptoms, contact public health authorities.
To prevent the virus from spreading, experts recommend frequent handwashing and coughing into your sleeve. They also recommend minimizing contact with others, staying home as much as possible and maintaining a distance of two metres from other people if you go out. In situations where you can’t keep a safe distance from others, public health officials recommend the use of a non-medical face mask or covering to prevent spreading the respiratory droplets that can carry the virus. In some provinces and municipalities across the country, masks or face coverings are now mandatory in indoor public spaces.
For full COVID-19 coverage from Global News, click here.
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