Ancaster Sports Centre COVID-19 case linked to ‘private field rental from a social gathering,’ centre says

Anyone who attended an event at an Ancaster sports complex last week is being told to self-isolate immediately" after an attendee tested positive for COVID-19.

In a Wednesday evening release, public health said a confirmed COVID case is associated" with a private event at the Ancaster Sports Complex, located at 1030 Lower Lions Club Rd., held Friday, Oct. 16 from 9:30 p.m. to 11 p.m.

All participants and spectators of this private event have been identified as close contacts and are asked to immediately self-isolate, monitor for symptoms and call public health services' COVID-19 hotline at 905-974-9848, option #3," public health said.

In a post on its Facebook page, Ancaster Sports Centre said it was told by public health on Oct. 20 that someone who visited the facility within the last few days had tested positive for COVID.

Further investigation narrowed the suspected case to a private field rental from a social gathering that had secured the final timeslot of the night and, further, that the suspected positive individual associated with the group entered the building," the statement reads.

Just one employee working that evening. The centre contacted the employee and advised they get tested.

Within an hour of learning of the case, the centre hired a team to disinfect the centre. The emergency disinfection took place that same evening.

It's unclear how many people attended the event, why there is the need for all attendees to self-isolate immediately and what the event was.

It is uncommon for public health to issue a public release appealing to a group of people to self-isolate.

The Spectator has asked public health and the sports centre for more information and is waiting to hear back.

More to come.

Katrina Clarke is a Hamilton-based reporter at The Spectator. Reach her via email: katrinaclarke@thespec.com