At least two Viterra participants test positive for COVID-19

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This article was published 15/02/2022 (1643 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

At least two competitors from last weekend’s provincial men’s curling championship in Selkirk have tested positive for COVID-19 and there could be more.

Assiniboine Memorial’s Braden Calvert, who skipped his team to a playoff berth before being eliminated, confirmed Tuesday that his team’s third, Kyle Kurz, had tested positive but is feeling fine.

“No one else,” said Calvert by telephone. “Me and (second) Ian (McMillan) don’t have any symptoms and (lead) Rob (Gordon) maybe had some symptoms but he was negative.”

Meanwhile, skip Colton Lott said one member of his team tested positive for COVID-19 following the Viterra Championship but declined to identify the individual. His Winnipeg Beach squad also consists of Kyle Doering, Tanner Lott and Emerson Klimpke.

“I’ve been told there’s quite a few cases,” said Lott, who dropped an 8-3 decision to West St. Paul’s Mike McEwen in Sunday’s provincial final.

The McEwen squad had no positive cases.

Meanwhile, Jason Gunnlaugson had no comment about the possibility of positive tests when contacted Tuesday.

In late January, the defending provincial champion skip from Morris announced via Twitter he was backing out of the event due to COVID-19 concerns.

“I personally cannot reconcile playing non-bubbled and non-tested curling tournaments at his time,” he wrote at the time.

With the implementation of upgraded safety measures, Gunnlaugson reversed himself just before play was to begin in Selkirk, rejoining third Adam Casey, second Matt Wozniak and lead Connor Njegovan.

The Gunnlaugson team is expected to be included as a wild-card entry in the upcoming Brier men’s national championship in Lethbridge, Alta., March 4-13.

Curl Manitoba executive director Craig Baker was unavailable for comment but the organization had a response.

“Individuals at the event have notified Curl Manitoba they tested positive following the championship. Curl Manitoba cannot confirm the number of cases or the identities for privacy purposes,” the organization said in a release. “We have contacted all involved, to make them aware and requested they self-monitor for symptoms.”

Calvert said he was content with the additional steps taken at the event, staged at the Selkirk Curling Club.

“I think it was ran really well by Curl Manitoba with all the protocols that that they put in place,” said Calvert. “Basically for a non-bubble event, I think they did everything they could do. We took a test before we were even allowed to compete in the event and to have our pre-event practice we all had to take a rapid test.

“And then they did heat checks on us every day and it was it was really well done. It’s unfortunate that somewhere down the line, I guess maybe someone caught it and spread it but it’s hard to say where that was.”

mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @sawa14