A Strip Club In BC Is Linked To 'Multiple' COVID-19 Cases This Month

Everyone wants life to get back to normal as fast as possible, and in B.C., the strip clubs are open for business. However, multiple people have tested positive for COVID-19 after visiting a Vancouver strip club near the end of June. The facility was allowed to reopen under B.C.'s Phase 2 regulations but has since closed.

Vancouver Coastal Health is warning patrons of Brandi's Exotic Show Lounge who visited between Sunday to Wednesday, June 21 to 24, that they could have been exposed to COVID-19.

If you visited from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. on those dates, or between midnight and 3 a.m. on Thursday, June 25, then you should self-monitor for COVID-19 symptoms for 14 days, wrote CityNews 1130.

However, you won't need to self-isolate, the health authority continued: "As long as they remain healthy and do not develop symptoms, there is no need to self-isolate and they should continue with their usual daily activities," they wrote in a statement to CBC news.

Multiple people who attended the club on those dates tested positive for COVID-19, but they didn't specify how many.

"Due to some concerns from VCH, Brandis has temporarily closed to address these issues," read a notice from the club. "We will reopen soon."

However, the health authority said there's no risk if you've visited outside those hours and times, and there's no risk to the community.

According to CTV News, while there are no guidelines specific for exotic dancers, the reopening of strip clubs falls under regulations for both the performing arts and restaurants, both of which are allowed to operate in B.C.'s second phase of reopenings.

Narcity has reached out to Brandi's Exotic Show Lounge for comment and we will update this story when we receive a response.

Other clubs like Vancouver's No. 5 Orange Dance and Pub Showroom told CTV that they've put in a ton of new safety measures like installing plexiglass barriers around the stage where dancers perform and between seating booths. They're also putting lapdances on hold.

"We were deeply concerned to learn that someone who had possibly been exposed to COVID-19 had entered our establishment," wrote the club on Instagram.

They've since worked with public health officials to track down and isolate people who've been exposed.

But this isn't the end for the club; after adding to their health regulations and sanitizing, they're hoping to reopen back to the public soon.