The folks behind beloved Canadian comedy Schitt’s Creek know people love Goodwood but are asking that fans stay away as even towns made famous by television struggle to deal with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The show’s official Twitter account shared a message pleading with fans to stay home and avoid the town that’s used as a filming location for the beloved cult comedy staring Eugene Levy, among others. The tweet stressed that “now is not the time” and hoped that fans understood the risk they were taking in further spreading coronavirus in the town and elsewhere as the rest of the world practices social distancing.
Friends, we've heard there are still groups of people visiting the town where we filmed #SchittsCreek.
Now is not the time. Please stay home until it's safe to visit again.
At the moment, it is a health risk to the residents of the town, some of whom are immunocompromised. pic.twitter.com/XMD5gKdO83
— Schitt's Creek (@SchittsCreek) March 23, 2020
The show’s creator, Dan Levy, quickly shared the message and added his own, saying fans need to “respect” the health and safety of the Ontario towns they filmed in, especially after how generous they’ve been to the cast and crew over the years.
The towns where we shot Schitt’s Creek were so lovely and accommodating to us. Please show them the same respect. Visiting right now is a threat to the residents’ health and safety. Thanks for understanding. https://t.co/D0tdccTTRH
— dan levy (@danjlevy) March 23, 2020
The Schitt’s Creek Twitter account has shared a number of messages encouraging good hygiene and social distancing in the past few days.
social distancing examples from David Rose pic.twitter.com/D9ansxbL7x
— Schitt's Creek (@SchittsCreek) March 23, 2020
But the personal plea comes after those in Goodwood have noticed tourists still coming to visit despite a very serious pandemic impacting life across North America and putting vulnerable populations at risk.
. ┏┓
╱╱ ╲╲in this
╱╱ ╲╲motel
╱╱ Rosebud ╲╲we stay
▔▏ M O T E L ▕▔ indoors
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ and wash
▏┏┳┓╭╮┏┳┓▕ our hands
▏┗┻┛┃┃┗┻┛▕— Schitt's Creek (@SchittsCreek) March 16, 2020
According to The Hollywood Reporter, political leaders in Goodwood hope fans get the message and stay away as they deal with more than two dozen COVID-19 cases in the tiny provincial town.
Additionally, Gary Barton, mayor of Uxbridge, the regional township in which Goodwood resides, told The Hollywood Reporter that Schitt’s Creek fans should stay away until health measures and travel bans in place to contain the coronavirus outbreak are lifted.
“We love that we have been chosen as the home of Schitt’s Creek and we have enjoyed meeting and hosting the fans of the show, especially the Schitt Heads who have come to visit our beautiful community. We look forward to welcoming fans in the future when the borders are once again open and travel advisories and health care crises have abated,” he said.
Hopefully fans get the message and stay home altogether as the world tries to flatten the curve of the epidemic. They can make the pilgrimage at another, safer time.
