Jasper mayor warns visitors about limited health-care capacity, amenities

The mayor of Jasper wants visitors to weigh the risks before making a trip to the mountain town as it deals with a spike in COVID-19 cases.

Mayor Richard Ireland said he wants people to know what they're walking into if they decide to make the trip to the townsitein Jasper National Park.

Ireland said a number of visitors came through the town over the weekend despite the latest round of restrictions, when Premier Jason Kenney announced that ski hills can remain open.

"That's a critical aspect of our local economy, so people are able to come," he said. "At the same time, there is a provincial pronouncement that all out-of-town travel is discouraged. So people are conflicted they're not quite sure what they should be doing or what's expected of them.

"We're hoping that people make decisions that work for them but that are safe for everyone."

• Alberta imposes tough new restrictions in bid to curb soaring COVID-19 infections

Ireland said he decided to make a public statement following the announcement of new provincial restrictions earlier this month. The other factor that prompted the statement, he said,was the "dramatic" increase in COVID-19 cases in the community.

"In per capita terms, we are among the highest in the province, because of course we have a small population here," he said. "Wherever the source of the infection may have been, it's in the community now, and of course that's a real concern."

According to the town website, Jasper had 62 active cases on Dec. 11. Ireland said that number has dropped into the mid-50s this week.

He said there is a COVID-19 outbreak in both the Seton-Jasper Healthcare Centreand the adjoining Jasper Alpine Summit Seniors Lodge, where one resident has died of COVID-19.

While patients can be treated at the health-care facility, Ireland said his understanding is that patients won't be admitted. It's important for people to know, he said, that if they are going to be driving on mountain roads, or doing outdoor activities that come with some level of risk, there will be limited local capacity to provide care.

"Be aware, that if that happens to you, the care that we would normally be able to provide is simply not available," he said.

Visitors should also be prepared for limited amenities, he said, sincerestaurants and bars are closed just like elsewhere in Alberta, and social gatherings in hotel rooms are prohibited under the provincial restrictions.

• COVID-19 outbreak declared at Jasper Park Lodge

While the town does want visitors to come and have a good experience, if people decide to postpone their trip until it's saferthat's also encouraged, he said.

"We will still be here, we'll all get through this together, and we'll be able to offer you more of the visit that you might have expected," he said.

'Everybody is very aware of what's at stake'

Marmot Basin, a mountain ski resort about 20 kilometres south of Jasper's townsite, remains open and has robust COVID-19 protocols in place, vice-president Brian Rode said Wednesday.

"Our first and foremost concern is the health and well-being of everybody," Rodesaid. "The health-care system is stressed, we all know that, throughout the province. I think it is our responsibility to make sure that people are very well informed so they can make good decisions."

While they are limiting capacity in the chalets, he said, they aren't limiting how many people can be on the hill because they aren't close to reaching capacity.

Rode said if someone does get injured, the process remains the same: ski patrol will get the patient off the hill and administer first aid, then the person will be transferred to the health-care centre in Jasper and onward to another facility in a bigger centre, if necessary.

Rode said Marmot Basin is seeing fewer people than normal on weekends, and he thinks people are choosing to visit on weekdays.

He said many people are opting to use the park-and-ski area, where visitors can easily return to the parking lot to eat and take breaks if they want to avoid indoor spaces. People have been good about taking initiative to socially distance, he said, and they're confident they will be able to manage an uptick in attendance over the holidays, if it comes.

"I think everybody is very aware of what's at stake here," he said. "We want to continue to operate in a very safe way."