Einarson undeterred by virus, on to B.C.

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This article was published 06/03/2020 (2272 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

KINGSTON, Ont. — Kerri Einarson’s travel plans to Prince George, B.C., remain firm and she’s not fretting over the growing global concern about coronavirus.

The Gimli skip and her Canadian women’s championship team head west for the 2020 World Women’s Curling Championship, March 14-22.

Thirteen teams will compete for the title, including some from nations most affected by the virus that had claimed nearly 3,500 lives worldwide as of Friday afternoon, including China, Italy, Japan and South Korea.

Einarson, third Val Sweeting, second Shannon Birchard, lead Briane Meilleur, alternate Jennifer Clark-Rouire and coach Patti Wuthrich have all been briefed by Curling Canada’s medical staff and are ready to do all the right things to avoid getting sick.

“I haven’t really worried about that too much,” said Einarson, in a conference call with her teammates and Curling Canada officials Friday morning. “I’ve just focused on us and our performance, and not worrying too much about the coronavirus.

“I think we’re taking the necessary precautions and we’re just making sure we’re doing all those right things. I am not worried about it, as long as we’re doing what we can to keep ourselves healthy.”

Einarson captured the national Scotties Tournament of Hearts title Feb. 23.  

The number of cases across Canada had risen to 51 by Friday. Health officials in Ontario, British Columbia and across Canada have said the risk posed by COVID-19 in this country remains low. Worldwide cases of the novel coronavirus have surged past 100,000, including 80,000 in China. 

Curling Canada CEO Kathy Henderson many of the international teams have been practising in Canada for “weeks, if not months” and haven’t been near areas exposed to the virus. She’s confident the event will be a major success, showcasing world-class talent while ensuring the health and safety of competitors, volunteers and fans.

“The theme right now is that, as we proceed with proper precautions, the risk is extremely low of an infectious outbreak in Prince George,” Henderson said. “We’re really excited about this event. We expect Prince George to be a really great host city.

“We are in constant contact and communication with the World Curling Federation (WCF)… this is something that’s a daily occurrence. We also are communicating with all level of government as well as health authorities.”

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National women program coach Elaine Dagg-Jackson said Canada’s athletes will receive solid medical advice before, during and after the Prince George championship. 

“We’ve been under the direction of our lead medical doctor, Dr. Bob McCormick. For three quadrennials now he’s been our leader and he’s also the lead medical doctor for the Canadian Olympic Committee. We’re in good hands with respect to the medical profession overseeing everything that we do,” said Dagg-Jackson.

“This whole process is about impeccable hygiene — frequent hand washing, covering your nose and mouth when coughing, trying to sneeze and cough into your arm, away from others — and avoiding close contact with anybody who is ill.”

jason.bell@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @WFPJasonBell