Vaccination, masks required at major curling event in Swift Current

Organizers of a major curling tournament in Swift Current say COVID-19 precautions will be in full force this weekend.

The city is the location of the IG Wealth Management Western Showdown, bringing some of the top men’s curlers in the world, including Brendan Bottcher, Matt Dunstone and Kevin Koe.

“(Safety) is the number one priority and we’re taking that very seriously,” said Chris Haichert, general manager of the Swift Current Curling Club.

“We want to ensure that the fans, the spectators and the curlers all stay safe and healthy throughout this entire event.”

Haichert said people need to show proof of vaccination to attend. Masking is also mandatory and after each draw, the facility undergoes “deep cleans.”

“People are very cooperative. It has been going very smoothly and haven’t had any hiccups,” he said.

“(We) just wanted to ensure that we erred on the absolute side of safety, bar none … we have been seeing a lot of support and it’s shown in the facility being full for the draws.”