DAWSON CREEK -- Two gyms and a restaurant in Dawson Creek have been given COVID-19 compliance warning letters by Northern Health.
The letters all say, steps must be taken by the business to comply with the implementation of the “Vaccine Passport’ fhat has been implemented by province of BC.
True North Fitness, Fitness 4 Life and Fixx Urban Grill, all received the warning.
Calls to Fitness 4 Life and Fixx Urban Grill were not returned.
The owner says, that standards from Northern Health are not clear and confusing.
He says, an inspector with Northern Health entered his business, dressed in street clothes, pretending to inquire about a gym membership.
The owner says the inspector spoke to a new employee, who had been instructed to ask for proof of vaccination from everyone, before they went into the area where customers workout.
But the employee wasn’t sure the man was going into the gym area. That’s when, according the owner, the instructor said the business was going to receive a warning from Northern Health.
The inspector told the owner after the warning was issued, he was happy with everything True North Fitness was doing to implement the ‘vaccine passport.”
On November 4th, True North Fitness was issued a request to provinde more information about checking vaccine passports from Northern Health. That request was rescinded just days later.
The health authority asked the gym to provide additional documentation proving vaccination passports were being checked.
True North said they've been in compliance all along.
Prior to receiving the order, the gym sent the health authority their COVID-19 safety plan and signs were posted around the facility.
This seemed to suffice, until the gym found out they were hit with the order.
Northern Health was requesting private information of members, something the gym owner says he was obligated not to release.
A list of first names only was sent to Northern Health with proof their passports had been checked, along with a list of people no longer coming to the facility.
Northern Health deemed it enough and two days later, the order was revoked.
