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