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BC’s New Eased Restrictions Now In Effect, And Here’s A Quick Summary

COVID restrictions / immunize B.C. restrictions

Photo: Province of British Columbia / Flickr

On the afternoon of February 15, Bonnie Henry made an announcement to begin lifting several restrictions, and as of February 17, the new set of rules came into place which permitted people in B.C. to finally dance in bars and mingle in restaurants, among other things. 

Key restrictions do remain in place; however, and we have broken them down below.

BC COVID Restrictions

bc-restrictions
Photo: Government of British Columbia

Indoor gatherings return to normal

  • There are no longer restrictions on gatherings held in your home.

Restaurants, bars and nightclubs

  • Nightclubs and bars may open.
  • Mingling between tables at restaurants is allowed.

Masks must still be worn indoors

  • This includes in places of worship, common areas of fitness centres (when not engaged in exercise activity), inside schools for teachers and students (K-12), common areas of post-secondary institutions, when shopping, mingling between tables or dancing at bars.

Worship services

  • If all participants are vaccinated, then worship centres are allowed to operate at full capacity. Vaccine status to be determined by the service leader.
  • If participants are not all vaccinated, then the centre must only operate at 50% capacity. 

Fitness centres and sports activities

  • Are permitted to operate at full capacity; however, those not engaged in the sports or fitness activity, must wear a mask. 

Long-term care and senior assisted living facilities

  • Long-term care facilities (LTCF) allow each patient one social visitor, this means this visitor does not need to give an essential reason for the visit and, plus one essential visitor.
  • All visitors to LTCF must show proof of vaccination and people 12 years of age and older must also complete rapid point-of-care testing.
  • All visitors must wear masks in LTCF common areas, but may take their masks off when visiting residents if they are fully vaccinated. 
  • All visitors are allowed at senior assisted living facilities

 

The key take-away is that most things are allowed again, but the mask mandate and vaccine passport (for those 12 years or older) are still in effect. 

 

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