Golf opens Monday; other facilities remain closed
The Recreation Centers of Sun City West reminds residents that although five golf courses will open on Monday, the other facilities including chartered clubs remain closed.
Stardust, Grandview, Echo Mesa, Trail Ridge and Deer Valley will open to residents on Monday. Pebblebrook and Desert Trails remain closed until fall for overseeding and maintenance. Social distancing restrictions will be in place at the five courses on Monday; the courses will remain closed to the public with the exception of registered public players.
There has been some confusion that chartered clubs will reopen as well on Monday. That is not the case. The Rec Centers is working on a Recovery and Reopening Plan for its other facilities. However, reopening even under the plan with restrictions in place, will follow the federal “Opening Up America Again” approach, which requires a downward trajectory of Covid cases over a 14-day period.
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey announced a testing blitz, which aims to test 10,000 to 20,000 Arizonans every Saturday for three consecutive weeks, beginning Saturday, May 2. “We can expect to see our numbers increase after that date,” said RCSCW General Manager Bill Schwind. “But that doesn’t explain the leap in cases we saw last weekend before the blitz began.”
Sun City West’s zip code saw a jump from “6-10” cases on April 26 to 45 on April 27. There are 47 reported as of today. There is a reported 4-7 day lag time between testing and reporting, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services website.
Of particular concern is the impact Covid-19 has on those 65 and older, particularly those with a chronic condition. According to Maricopa County, people who are at least 65 and have a chronic condition account for: 43 percent of all cases in the county; 73 percent of the hospitalizations; 77 percent of the ICU admissions; and 98 percent of those who have died.
The Rec Centers will release its Recovery and Reopening Plan as soon as possible. In the meantime, please check suncitywest.com for further announcements, and the Arizona Department of Health Services’ Data Dashboard at azdhs.gov for the latest case information.