The South West Sports Centre was closed on Sunday due to rising cases of COVID across Bunbury

The South West Sports Centre was closed on Sunday due to rising cases of COVID across the area, as the Bunbury business community continues to be hit by staffing availability issues. The centre announced on Thursday it had been “particularly impacted” by COVID and it had reached a point where it did not have the required pool supervisors, lifeguards or gym staff available to fill all shifts. As a result, the City made the decision to close, hoping that closing on a Sunday would have the least impact on the community and allow a reset to manage staff hours. The centre reopened on Monday and Bunbury Mayor Jaysen Miguel said while it was hard to predict, it was hoped closures such as this would be kept to a minimum. “South West Sports Centre is experiencing staff availability issues due to the rising cases of COVID-19 and it has reached a point where it does not have the required pool supervisors, lifeguards or gym staff available to fill all shifts,” Mr Miguel said. “We are hopeful that it won’t (reoccur), but there is no way you can predict this in the current COVID-19 climate. “It is hoped that closing for one day on Sunday will allow the SWSC to essentially reset and manage staff hours so we can continue providing a safe service to our patrons.”