Vancouver’s Celebrities Nightclub closes voluntarily amid B.C. spike in COVID-19 cases

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — In late July, the Celebrities nightclub in Vancouver closed voluntarily due to the alarming spike in COVID-19 cases in B.C. this summer. Over the past few weeks, the health authorities around the province have issued exposure alerts for multiple clubs and bars.

This is the second time the club temporarily closed. The most recent closure is due to the increase of COVID-19 cases “and the cautions about further spread.”

“We recognize our responsibility to support the best interest of our community, and we have decided to once again close Celebrities,” an Instagram post reads.

 

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To all of our staff, friends and loyal patrons We want to thank everyone who has worked so hard over the past several weeks to safely reopen and safely operate Celebrities Nightclub. Following yesterday’s public health news confirming increased cases of COVID-19 within our province, and the cautions about further spread, we recognize our responsibility to support the best interests of our community, and we have decided to once again close Celebrities. We look forward to seeing you all again soon. In the meantime, stay safe and keep those hands clean! – Celebrities Nightclub

A post shared by Celebrities Nightclub (@celebrities_van) on Jul 21, 2020 at 6:09pm PDT

A few weeks before the club closed, a video of Canucks forward Jake Virtanen not wearing a mask or physically distancing was shared to Instagram.

Some Twitter users at the time took to the social media platform to condemn Virtanen’s actions while some defended him.

The club fist shut it’s doors Mid March but reopened in June.

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On Wednesday, the province saw the third largest single-day increase in COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic in March, with 85. That was the most in a 24-hour period since April 25, when there were 95.

Health officials have said the majority of new cases involve young people in the Lower Mainland whose recent exposures have been linked to community events.

Celebrities, on Davie Street, says it looks forward to opening again soon. It had closed, along with many other businesses as the province tried to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

On Thursday, the Vancouver Health Authority issued an exposure alert for anyone at the Ivy Lounge on West Georgia Street between 10 p.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday.

An exposure alert was also issued Wednesday for another nightclub, Levels on Seymour Street. That follows ones for Pierre’s Champagne Lounge, PumpJack Pub and West Oak Restaurant.

Fraser Health has also issued exposure alerts for two pubs, The Taphouse on North Road and Charlie Hamiltons on Pinetree Way.

The exposure at The Taphouse occurred Aug. 1 and 2, between 9 p.m. and 2 a.m.

The one at Charlie Hamiltons is for August 4, from 7 and 9 p.m.

Editors Note:  A previous version of the article failed to clarify the club made the decision to close once again in July, not August.