Whistler-Blackcomb Identified as COVID Hotspot; Closes for the Season

Not that Americans could visit anyway but British Columbia instituted restrictions on Monday that forced a quick end of the season for Whistler-Blackcomb. The resort has been identified as a hotspot of COVID-19 cases, according to published reports, including The Snow Industry Letter. The resort now will turn its attention to summer activities.

There has been a surge in coronavirus transmission linked to people travelling within the province in recent weeks, according to BC health officials, and that includes trips to Whistler.

Dr. Bonnie Henry, a provincial heal official, did not say how many new cases have emerged at Whistler, but she noted a “worrisome cluster” involving the P.1 variant associated with Brazil. This particular variant has been described as being more easily transmissible, and it may be more resistant to COVID-19 antibodies.

Whistler-Blackcomb is a Vail Resorts property. According to a recent Liftblog tweet: “The Whistler closure does not appear to trigger mass refunds of Epic Passes under Epic Coverage. For those who elected Core Season and All Resorts (the defaults), ten Vail resorts would have to be closed simultaneously for 7 consecutive days to qualify.” Other ski areas in BC have not closed.

Neither have that many in the U.S. but the season is winding down. According to OnTheSnow, as of 3/31, there were 26 New England resorts operating but the shrinking number of operating lifts and snow base depths were obvious on their web site. In Pennsylvania, Seven Springs was holding on but resorts south of the state are already closed.

The best bet for late season skiing or snowboarding continues to be the higher elevation resorts out west. Utah has 11 resorts open, Colorado has 20, and California has 18. California’s Mammoth just announced it is going to stay open through Memorial Day.