Khutzeymateen Wilderness Lodge COVID-19 Plan & Protocols

The following plan has been developed to identify and mitigate safety issues during Khutzeymateen Wilderness Lodge (KWL) operations running grizzly bear viewing tours within the current COVID-19 pandemic. The well being of guests, staff and local communities is of the highest priority and all operations will follow safety recommendations from the provincial and federal governments.

Any guests or staff who are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, have travelled outside Canada within the last 14 days or live in a household with someone who has COVID-19 will not be permitted to come to the lodge until they have isolated for a minimum of 14 days and are showing no symptoms.

Guests will be asked to provide their own cloth mask or face covering and gloves and to use them at the lodge when physical distancing cannot be maintained. The lodge will also have supplies available if needed.

COVID-19 Protocols at the Lodge

Guests

All guests will be required to:

Practice physical distancing whenever possible by maintaining a distance of at least 6 feet between other guests and lodge staff.

Wear personal protective equipment (PPE) (masks and gloves) when physical distance cannot be maintained.

Wash their hands and use hand sanitizer continuously throughout the day and particularly before and after eating and drinking and before and after using communal lodge equipment.

Only enter their own bedrooms and stay out of Staff Only areas.

Follow directions from staff and adhere to seating plans at meal times to maintain physical distancing.

Staff

All Khutzeymateen Wilderness Lodge staff are required to:

Practice physical distancing whenever possible by maintaining a distance of at least 6 feet between co-workers.

Wear personal protective equipment (PPE) (masks and gloves) when physical distance cannot be maintained.

Wash their hands and use hand sanitizer continuously throughout the day and particularly before and after eating and drinking and before and after using communal lodge equipment.

Follow all lodge cleaning protocols.

Upon disembarking the floatplane at the lodge, guests will be given a tour of the lodge in groups of 1 or 2 people (who are sharing a bedroom) while wearing PPE and shown the locations of all hand washing and hand sanitizer stations. Their bags will be taken directly from the floatplane to their rooms. At the first meal, a seating plan will be set that guests will follow throughout the tour.

While the Khutzeymateen often has rainy days, guests will be encouraged to spend time outside on the deck whenever possible.

In the case of a guest or staff member showing symptoms of COVID-19, they will immediately be isolated in their room and will receive all meals at their door. Khutzeymateen Wilderness Lodge will contact the Canada 811 line and local Public Health office for advice. All other guests and staff will be monitored for symptoms. In the event of someone requiring medical attention evacuation will be by boat or float plane directly to Prince Rupert hospital. At no time will KWL access the neighboring community of Lax Kw’alaams or Metlakatla.

Cleaning

We will follow best practices and advice from medical professionals and the Canadian government including the BC Government’s Tourism and Hospitality Best Practices Template:

https://www.go2hr.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/go2HR-COVID-19-Best-Practices-Template.pdf

Hand washing stations will be located in the two guest bathrooms and at the outside sink. Hand sanitizer stations will be located in the living room, the outside sink, the table on the middle dock, the kitchen and the dining room.

Staff at the lodge will adhere to the following cleaning protocols (while wearing gloves):

Disinfecting all high-touch surfaces including light switches, door handles, table surfaces, chairs, bathrooms and boat seats with diluted bleach continuously throughout the day.
Cleaning/disinfecting the washrooms continuously throughout the day.
Use of paper towels instead of hand towels, tea towels and cloths.
Requiring guests to wash their hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
Providing alcohol-based hand sanitizer in communal areas.
Ensuring good ventilation in communal spaces.
Floater suits will be disinfected after each tour and not used for at least 3 days.

Food Preparation & Meals

All meals will be prepared by the chef in the kitchen who will be wearing PPE.
In order to allow for social distancing in the kitchen, dishes will be washed and sanitized at the outside sink.
Meals will be plated by the chef and placed on the serving trolley for transfer to the table by the lodge assistant who will be wearing PPE.
Guests will be provided with individual cutlery that has been disinfected and paper napkins that they will dispose of in a bin at the end of the meal.
All fresh food provisions will be pre-ordered from suppliers in Prince Rupert and picked up by boat at the Cow Bay dock with no community contact.

Boat Trips

Guests will prepare for boat trips and put on the floater suits and PPE in their bedrooms, then proceed outside to the boat. All guests and staff will be required to wear a mask and gloves during the entirety of the boat trip. Upon return to the lodge, guests will proceed straight to their rooms to take off the floater suits.