The Recreation Centers of Sun City West’s COVID Task Force has extended the closure of the fitness centers and indoors pools through at least Monday, Feb. 15.
The Rec Centers has been tracking state, county and local case counts in determining its position. Charting the number of cases in zip code 85375 shows a drastic incline in cases since just after the Thanksgiving holiday. The trend has not slowed.
Additionally, the White House’s Coronavirus Report this week showed Arizona leads the country for new cases, deaths and hospital admissions due to COVID.
“We continue to head in the wrong direction,” said General Manager Bill Schwind. “As we’ve said all along, we will follow the science and take our lead from health officials, who are warning we are not nearly out of the woods yet. The state’s vaccination program is starting to find its groove, and as more and more people are vaccinated, we will see the trend start slowing. We’re all looking forward to that decline. We want to get the facilities open as soon as possible.”
The extended closure covers the fitness centers and indoor pools, in line with the attestation the Rec Centers filed when the COVID closures first started. Chartered clubs were not affected by this attestation, but several of the clubs have closed on their own accord. A list of which clubs are closed and which are open with restrictions can be found at suncitywest.com/covid19. Mask mandates remain in effect at all indoor facilities.
Other departments within the Association remain status quo. Residents should check the website for the latest. As of now, the departments open/closed schedule is as follows:
Fitness Centers (including indoor swimming pools and spas, racquetball, table tennis, massage, personal training and group fitness): Closed through at least Feb. 15. The closure will be extended if needed. Outdoor facilities (tennis, pickleball, lawn bowls, walking tracks, bocce, mini golf, etc.) will remain open. Equipment is available for rent at the activities center, and is cleaned between users.
Golf & Sports Pavilion: Open with existing precautions in place.
Clubs: Most open with the exception of social clubs and those that can’t physically distance. Those clubs that are open are strongly encouraged to enact voluntary closures at this time; closures may be mandated in the future.
Member Services: By appointment only. Call 623-544-6100.
Administrative/Governing Board Offices: By appointment only. Call 623-544-6000.
Library: Curbside pickup for materials; Data Resource by appointment only. Call 623-544-6130 but expect wait times on the phone.
Village Store: Open with precautions in place.
For the latest COVID information from the Rec Centers, visit suncitywest.com/COVID19, and sign up for the weekly Enews at suncitywest.com.
COVID-19 cases in the Sun City West zipcode (85375)
Data provided from Arizona Department of Health Services COVID-19 data dashboard
A cumulative number of people tested from SCW is not very useful when looking at about 6 month worth of data. Most of those cases are not currently active. It is a total, but how many died? It appears that the upward swing coincides with the influx of snowbirds. Any information on that?
Please keep in mind that the snowbirds pay the same amount for Rec fees as full time citizens. Many are only here for a few months. The Rec Centers and pools need to be open. People who are not comfortable going should stay away. No one will force them to go. Also, many people have been vaccinated or have had Covid and recovered. Not a good move to keep them closed. Many upset people!
Please follow science Open the pools. I think it is a great way for you to make money by not opening our recreation centers. You don’t have to pay money to your employees.
You don’t need to use cleaning services etc. I don’t think this new year is a good look for Sun City West to be raising the rec fees.
Nope…not a good year to be raising rec fees. Got that, Schwind ??
Please post a copy of the Sun City West Attestation you filed with the County. I want to read it and come to my own interpretation of the agreement. Thank you.
I have a idea, When you open on the 15th only let members wo have proof of vaccunation in.
I am sorry, but that would not work. There are some of us that can not have the currently available vaccines due to severe allergies.
That is not a answer. I am 81 and will get my shot on 20 Feb. I would like to know the number of cases from SCW residences. We need to open up.
I’m not 65 yet so don’t qualify for vaccine, but am a full time resident in SCW as well. I follow all protocol though and think we should be allowed to use the services we pay for.
I agree. Until everyone who resides in SUN City West is eligible for the vaccine, it would not be fair to limit participants to those who have been vaccinated. To do otherwise would be age discrimination.
We are tenants and only one of us is allowed to purchase a rec card does that make sense? I would think the rec center would want to make a bit more money with both purchasing a card.
I am concerned that you are looking at the wrong data. Please examine the number of hospitalizations versus the number of cases. Number of cases is a direct reusult of number of testings whereas number of hospitalization shows the severity within the community. In addition, just like the schools, I ask you to consider if you are doing more harm than good by keeping the fitness centers closed when you allow bowling (a closed environment).
It’s truly unfortunate that the only comments are critical at best and overwhelmingly negative in one case. I can read a graph and determine the number of cases between Christmas 2020 and today. It may not be a huge number and hopefully everyone has recovered. Thank you so much for erring on the side of caution. I appreciate your efforts even if there is some inconvenience. I know my daughter who is an RN in ICU appreciates your adherence to scientific protocols! She would love to go back to working 8 hour days instead of working 3 12-hour graveyard ICU shifts! I’m more than happy to do my part for the overall initiative to stop the spread and get back to a safe normal ASAP!
Yes Yes Yes! We as a people have never experienced a time when we were told NO we cant go have fun whenever we want. I think WWII comes closest to a time we all had to sacrifice for the greater good. Mental health will be part of the sacrifice, but in the long run history will look at lives lost. Our front line workers are the most important right now, at this moment in history. Many are blind, or just too selfish to care, as to what front line workers sacrifice to be there when we are in need. NO ONE HAS THE RIGHT ANSWER! We must understand what we don’t understand. To err on the side of caution and care for your nurses, doctors, etc is in everyone’s best interest. Now and Always!
Are the outside pools open? The notice above doesn’t make that clear. It’s nearly impossible to reach anyone at the rec centers office. The level of customer service is very low considering the mandatory fees. Count me amongst the residents who are opposed to the fee increase at a time when the facilities have been closed for an extended time!
I would like to see a copy of the guidelines you are following that’s keeping the fitness centers closed. Other fitness centers are opened in the county. To stay healthy, especially as we age, we need exercise. Not everyone is a golfer or pickleball player. The best thing we can do for our immune system is eat the right diet, get plenty of EXERCISE and good sleep. You are not ‘keeping us safe” by locking us out of the buildings we are maintaining with our rec fees.
Patricia, the fitness centers are safer than the bowling allies especially if they limit the patrons but you don’t hear anything about closing down that facility.
Not everyone is entitled to a vaccination just yet. You need to be over 65. Not all SCW residents are.
My health has declined because I can not get to use the facilities that I have paid for. Put up a sign that says enter at your own risk. As adults we can make choices of our own and based on our research and up dated information. We will wear masks and clean the equipment. In my 80’s
It’s time to open rec centers you can’t judge on the cases incline the of Thanksgiving it’s over two months ago and now the definition of a case, is those who have the China virus and the people they may have been in contact. This why the cases have increased but the deaths have an not increase the percentages. I say you open the rec center and you put signs out front that say enter at our own risk you don’t require mask or anything. I have gone to many gym and since living SCE. I seen more user of equipment clean it continuously. it’s also time to remove the manager. Than, the Boards needs a serious decision with our attorney. All gyms are open in Maricopa county but our. Please we are all adults here
It doesn’t make sense to use standards that were developed back months ago when there was a lot of information about covid-19 that has since been proven false. What matters is not how many cases there are, but what that means. The Maricopa County official figures show a death rate of only 1.5% of all those who test positive, which means there’s a 98.5% survivability rate. And that figure does not include the approximately 40% of people who have no symptoms or very minor symptoms and never get tested. If those people were added, the survivability goes up to around 99.5%.
Interesting that no other health facilities in our region are closed. Please stop trying to be “big brother” and make decisions for the adults that live here. If someone has underlying medical conditions that makes their risk higher, they can stay home and not come to a gym. But for those of us with very low risk and are willing to live with that, please let us make our own decisions and live our own lives.
And after these arbitrary closures for months, don’t even think about another fee raise this year. It’s time the staff learned to live within a budget instead of just spending more and more each year. Cities have to do that, it’s time for you to do so as well.
Some of us are not worried about ” our own lives”. Some of us are worried about the front line workers not being there for when “our own lives” are in need and there is no one available to help them.
The Flag at Beardsley Park is a disgrace. I see enough complained about it at half mass but you did not solve the issue. It is still a foot from the top. Please correct or take it down.
On February 1st, I requested that you post a copy of the attestation filed with the county.
Since I have had no response,
How do I request a copy?
We arrived here in SCW full time early December. Our private health club in Wisconsin never closed for the pandemic. Supplied us with personnel that met state requirements. No cases as of today February 10th, 2021. Wisconsin Athletic Club, Greenfield, WI.
I have swam for Forty-Three years at this club under Two owners. I have several health issues an through the years my swimming has maintained better Heath for me. I was swimming nonstop a mile an a quarter in less than 55 min. Last October 8, 2020 I swam at 4:30 a.m. 47 laps 1 1/4 miles 55 min. Then participated in an hour water aerobic class.
I have maintained no medical needs for blood pressure medications for years, but since returning to our winter home here in SCW an no in door pool I am now on high blood pressure medicine daily.
My husband uses the exercise equipment when I swim, he has his issues as well.
We now will have to start all over again at the age of Seventy-Three an Seventy-Six years old. Get the indoor pools an exercise areas open for all of us. We pray we will out live your closures that we pay for before we die of other medical conditions than Covid-19.
Sun City pools all of them have been open for over a month. Do we need to sell an move to Sun City?
An yet our dues will be expected to be be paid with the increase you assessed us already months ago.
Very upset with management.
Mr. Schwind…you are doing a good job regarding it all. I feel safe here. It’s about time to open fitness centers. We know how to wear masks and wipe clean. And please…don’t even think about raising rec fees this year !!! That would be unconscionable!!!
The park at Beardsley is lovely, thanks to Todd and his crew. Last weekend there were in excess of 50 people spread out and wearing mask enjoying the out doors when I walked the trail around 1630 hours. To bad the Rec people can not get the rest rooms open for us to use while outside.
The mini golf was also busy but no rest rooms.
Beside the flag is something the rec people just can not care to fix. You should take it down. TO Disgrace the flag is terrible. I did not fight in 2 wars to see the flag hanging short of the top,please fix the rope or take it down.
This graph is very misleading. It states the daily cases at approx 1400 to 1500 per day the past few days. If that were true, everyone in SCW would have COVID in less than a few weeks. This graph is probably a cumulative count of COVID in SCW. Please verify what is actually being reported
No one has the correct answer to all the opinions stated here. They are, for the most part opinions. Even the most scientifically trained people in the world do not have a correct answer here. We are dealing with the unknown, and it will take years, possibly decades to see what we did right and what we did wrong. Having an opinion is great, but believing you know the right answer and the right way is just your imagination. Mistakes will be made and have been made. The lives of many, including the frontline workers, family members, homeless, rich and famous, etc will be lost. Be kind and very very patient folks, no one knows how this will all shake out.