About 11 people who stayed at Deerhurst Resort during the August long weekend have since tested positive for COVID-19, according to the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU).
Some of those Deerhurst guests also visited 3 Guys And A Stove and both businesses were notified on August 9 that patrons who visited their establishments had since tested positive for COVID-19.
Deerhurst Resort issued the following statement today: “Deerhurst Resort General Manager Jesse Hamilton has confirmed that the resort was advised on August 9, by the Simcoe-Muskoka District Health Unit, that guests staying at the resort over the August long weekend tested positive for Covid-19 at some point after their visit. The resort is working with the Simcoe Muskoka Health Unit to ensure the safety of their staff, guests, and community. The resort continues to operate with reduced occupancy and extensive COVID prevention measures and are confident that these measures will prove effective in safely handling this situation as well as the possibility of similar situations in the future.”
Jeff Suddaby of 3 Guys And A Stove was contacted by Doppler on August 10, 2020, and said the restaurant has temporarily closed until all staff has been tested. He also said the person who attended to the infected individuals is currently isolating. You can find that story here.
During his weekly updates on Aug. 11, 2020, Dr. Charles Gardner, medical officer of health for SMDHU, was asked why the restaurant had closed and the resort remained open. He said the restaurant had not been required to close but opted to do so. He also said the investigation regarding the resort is ongoing. Gardner would not comment further but did say, “we did note that there was a high degree of compliance at those two premises with regard to infection control.”
Gardner added that “an important takeaway message from this would be that there is the potential for transmission even in Simcoe, even in Muskoka, even when our rates are very low the potential still exists. People need to continue practising the safety practises that we’re all speaking to.” He was referring to proper physical distancing, maintaining a social circle of no more than 10 people that you have close physical contact with, wearing a mask in indoor public spaces, and good hand hygiene.
The individuals who stayed at the resort were part of a party of about 30 people made up of multiple families, said Gardner. They were not from the area and were consequently not tested here.
Through contact tracing, public health attempts to notify all parties who came into close contact with those infected. Gardner said the definition of close contact is someone who has been within two metres of an infected person without protection such as a mask for 15 minutes or more. “So contact where someone is just passing by on the street wouldn’t fall into that category,” he noted. “We wouldn’t have that information and wouldn’t be able to act on it.”
Gardner noted the importance of people practising precautions such as regular handwashing and wearing a mask, as well as keeping groups at a minimum.
So far, Gardner said there are no related community infections associated with the visitors, at least not at this time. He would not say where those infected with the virus reside.
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Deerhurst management should be brought before town council to explain their dangerous actions.
Is the health department taking any action? Have any laws been broken?
Somebody should be help accountable. Deerhurst? Town Council?
The cost of doing business should not be the lives of people in Huntsville.
Deer Hurst has a lot of questions to answer. What is being done, nothing?
How many other so called upper class resorts are doing the same thing.
Our health department is great at sending out reports, but what are they doing
about inforcing the health laws, nothing?
This is a life and death situation. All we need is a major outbreak in Huntsville.
One does have to wonder about the human race and their self destruct mode!
Has the infected people been asked as to what business’s they had visited. I would guess that at least one of them had been at the LCBO. I s the staff there being tested.
Gulp!
Wouldn’t it be wise for resorts like Deerhurst to somehow require guests to be tested before they are able to register? Just askin’.
I’m not too sure that Deerhurst is operating at a reduced occupancy as I recently was talking with an employee who works there and they said that they are at max capacity. Maybe someone should look into this for the safety of everyone.
I am an owner here and just returned from a business trip to my home to find this out. Would it not be incumbent upon the GM to notify permanent residents? On another note the hand sanitizer stations are empty and there are ZERO wipes for the luggage carts, garbage overflowing etc.
Parking is overflowing so it would also be important to understand exactly what “capacity” the resort is operating at.
Why are groups of 30 allowed to book?
Would like some answers.
So basically what he is saying if you are wearing a mask you have nothing to worry about even if the infected person is not so much for wearing a mask to protect someone else totally confusing as usual. I keep being told that we don’t wear a mask to protect ourselves we wear it to protect other people.
Jeff at 3 Guys shut his entire restaurant down, which to me seems like the obvious and right decision. Why does Deerhurst continue to operate? Seems to me that would be putting not only the existing staff and guests at risk, but the entire town of Huntsville.