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Island Health has rejected the idea of using Royal Athletic Park as a temporary tenting site for people without homes during the COVID-19 outbreak.

The health authority determined that the facility “was not a suitable location,” B.C.’s Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing said in a statement today.

“The evolving COVID-19 crisis means that community needs and priorities are changing on a daily basis and we are following the advice of public health experts to ensure vulnerable people are safe,” the ministry said.

Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps initially announced that Royal Athletic, Topaz and Beacon Hill parks would all be used for temporary shelters. But Beacon Hill was later dropped on the advice of Richard Stanwick, Island Health’s chief medical health officer, in order to maximize efficiency and get the other two sites open as soon as possible.

With Royal Athletic now out of the picture, Topaz Park remains the only designated temporary tenting site in Victoria.

The ministry says B.C. Housing is working with the city to find a service provider to oversee the camp and make sure people keep their distance from one another in order to prevent the virus from spreading.

“Topaz Park will not be for people who have tested positive or are recovering from COVID-19, but is intended for vulnerable people, including those who are precariously housed or experiencing homelessness,” the ministry said.

B.C. Housing has secured 160 hotel and motel rooms where people can self-isolate and has already referred 115 people to those spaces based on Island Health’s advice.

“While we are providing the names of community centres being used, we are not naming the hotels and motels involved to protect the privacy of the people using them, and so that these facilities can operate privately and focus on helping people who need a safe place to self-isolate,” the ministry said.

In addition, the Victoria Native Friendship Centre’s 25-bed temporary winter shelter will remain open until the end of June to provide spaces for people without homes.

“Temporary winter shelters normally close at the end of March each year but as the province addresses the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are working with our partners to try to keep these shelters open past March 31, especially in areas that have a high population of people experiencing homeless.”

The ministry said B.C. Housing is in negotiations with other hotels and expects to finalize contracts within the next two weeks. It’s also identifying city-owned buildings that might be suitable for temporary housing.