By Chelsea Powrie
A South Okanagan winery has chosen to close indefinitely, citing concerns over the scope of COVID-19 outbreaks in the Okanagan Valley.
JoieFarm Winery in Naramata, on the Naramata Bench, made the announcement on Facebook this weekend and remains closed as of Monday.
"Out of an abundance of caution, effective immediately, we would like to announce that we have temporarily closed JoieFarm’s tasting room due to the recent COVID-19 outbreaks within the Okanagan Valley," they wrote.
"We feel that this is the respectful thing to do for our community and for the safety and health of our staff and our visitors to the area."
This follows a temporary closure at Poplar Grove Winery, also on the Naramata Bench, after a staff member tested positive for COVID-19. Poplar Grove was due to re-open Monday after deep cleaning but calls to their tasting room have so far gone unanswered and there is no confirming update on their Facebook page or website.
JoieFarm stresses in their statement that "decision is purely precautionary." They plan to re-evaluate in the coming days once they get more information from Interior Health as to the scope of new cases in the region.
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