John Lathey has been forced to delay his retirement plans as the novel coronavirus pandemic devastates the Okanagan’s tourism and hospitality sector.
The 65-year-old owns the Summerland Motel off of Highway 97, and occupancy rates have plummeted. “It was as if somebody turned a light switch off middle of March,” Lathey told Global News on Wednesday. “Cancellations basically for the rest of the summer have happened.
People are not taking any chances at all,” he said. While there are still a lot of unknowns in regards to what summer will look like this year amid the public health emergency, Dr.
Bonnie Henry, B.C.’s provincial health officer, says mass gatherings of more than 50 people are likely to remain banned. That has prompted organizers