Latest health warning adds to COVID-19 concern over clubs
Health officials warned Thursday about potential exposure to COVID-19 at another nightclub in Downtown Vancouver.
The Ivy Lounge in the Trump Tower was added to Vancouver Coastal Health’s growing list of public exposures. VCH warned of possible exposure at the nightspot on West Georgia Street on Aug. 7 between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m.
The notice comes as another Downtown Vancouver nightclub — Levels on Seymour Street — plans to reopen after a warning earlier this week about potential COVID-19 exposure at the club last week.
Nightclubs aren’t allowed to open as dance venues but can operate as restaurants under B.C.’s restart plan, with only six patrons allowed per table.
B.C.’s provincial health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, said the majority of the new cases are young people in the Lower Mainland whose exposures have been linked to community events and out-of-province travel over the B.C. Day long weekend.
Nightclubs in B.C. were shut in March because of the COVID-19 state of emergency but many reopened in May and June operating as restaurants to stay in business.
Celebrities Nightclub, for example, opened and then closed again in July because of a spike in cases in Kelowna.
However, since then there have been a number of warnings issued about potential exposure at several restaurants, late-night eateries and nightclubs, including Pierre’s Champagne Lounge and the West Oak Restaurant in Yaletown, the PumpJack Pub, and Brandi’s and No. 5 Orange strip clubs.
In the latest alert, VCH warned about a potential COVID-19 exposure at Levels Nightclub in Vancouver.
VCH said the possible exposures occurred on Aug. 4 and 7, from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. on both dates. Levels on Seymour closed Tuesday for 48 hours to undergo a professional cleaning.
Levels hasn’t responded to questions from Postmedia News about whether people have been dancing at the club after a video, posted on Instagram by Club Mumbai, which runs Thursday nights at Levels, showed people dancing close together last week. The video has since been taken down.
WorkSafeBC says it has only received three complaints regarding nightclubs violating COVID-19 restriction. Two of the complaints did result in inspections, but WorkSafeBC says it hasn’t issued any orders to nightclubs.