An Ontario cycling studio that public health officials say was doing all of the right things in order to curb the spread of the coronavirus was nevertheless linked to 61 positive cases.
CNN reports that SPINCO in Hamilton, Ontario, had proper protocols in place for managing the pandemic. Staff and attendees were screened, class participants were tracked, masks were required before and after class, and rooms were cleaned within 30 minutes of a completed class, according to the city’s medical officer of health Dr. Elizabeth Richardson.
City officials told CNN that SPINCO was also operating at 50 percent capacity, with 6 feet of space between bikes since it reopened in July.
That the infections happened despite the facility’s adherence to safety protocols is a cause for alarm for some health officials. Hamilton was not considered a hotspot for COVID-19, though Canada is dealing with a spike in cases within the past month mostly centered in urban areas.
According to CNN, there are currently 44 “primary cases” associated with the studio, as well as 17 “secondary cases.” The exposure is linked to classes held between the period of Sept. 28 to Oct. 4. Studio co-owners Naz Zarezadegan and Ira Price said that “patient zero displayed no symptoms.”
SPINCO posted on Instagram that it would remain closed until it was deemed safe to reopen.
View this post on Instagram
Dear SPINCO FAM! . It’s Thanksgiving, and we are thankful for you. . We love you and we miss you! When we started the journey to open a SPINCO franchise in Hamilton, we had a dream of building an inclusive space for everyone to exercise! . When we got the green light to reopen in July, like everyone we were hesitant, but we took all the measures public health offered, even added a few, and still the pandemic struck us again! . It started September 28 and spread amongst specific classes until October 5th. SPINCO Hamilton has been closed from the moment the outbreak was identified. . As of today, everyone who has tested positive, are well. Our team, along side Public Health has notified everyone. . We have been following all the procedures set in place by public health. We have been in constant contact with our riders and we will continue to do so, if not daily, then every few days, with updates. . In total we have been open three and a half months if you can believe it. It seems longer. It seems like we have been a community for as long as the city existed! Something even our wildest dreams couldn’t imagine!! In 3 months, an entire community was developed and began thriving. A world of inclusivity and diversity; empowering body positive humans! The change that each of you has brought to this city and to us can not be put in words! . So we are at a point, where either we let this Pandemic own us, or we take ownership back. . We are determined to switch the script! We can and we know the power of our community. . So while we wait and remain closed, you have our commitment, that we will not re-open until It is safe to do so, we need to show our city and the rest of our province that the SPINCO community is not going anywhere! We are strong, we are tough and we fight together.. . . . . . . .
A post shared by SPINCO HAMILTON (@spincohamilton) on Oct 10, 2020 at 11:17am PDT
