A popular pool and recreation facility has closed due confirmed COVID cases among its staff.
The Sunriver Homeowners Aquatic and Recreation Center, also known as the SHARC, is closed through August 18th.
Facility staff are quarantining and being tested.
A couple of confirmed COVID cases and concerns of exposure among the rest of SHARC staff has resulted in a closure of the popular pool in the height of summer on a hot August day.
We spoke with several disappointed people, but most are finding other ways to stay cool.
“We planned to spend the whole day at SHARC today and the kids were so excited because they were closed on Tuesday and Wednesday. They woke up all ready to go in their swimsuits and it was closed,” said Donna Glazer of Keizer.
Instead, Glaze took her four grandchildren to one of Sunriver’s many parks, which are still open, and turned them loose with water balloons and buckets.
“It was actually a staffing issue. It wasn’t a risk of contracting COVID issue at our facility that caused us to close,” said James Lewis, Sunriver Owners Association General Manager. “With limited lifeguards, there’s a legal requirement that you have to have a certain number of lifeguards per patrons in the facility, in the pools, and we couldn’t maintain that. So we decided out of an abundance of caution all the way around to close the facility.”
SHARC and a second homeowner association pool are closed through next Wednesday.
The association’s tennis and pickleball courts, boat launch or parks remain open
“We’ve followed all protocols. Gone over and above every federal, state or local requirement. This is the only instance of an outbreak among employees,” Lewis said. “It can be contracted anywhere, at home, while they are out and about. I think we’ve done a stellar job with the thosuands of people from around the world that come to Sunriver to use this facility.”
Other private pools in Sunriver remain open but are restricted to guests staying in those facilities.
In the meantime, Glaze and her grandchildren are playing games that involve water to stay cool.
“They’ll survive. They are good kids. We’ll have a great time,” she said.
