Significant new COVID-19 restrictions announced for BC

Just 72 hours after new COVID-19 restrictions were announced for British Columbia, health officials have doubled down with a new set of rules to prevent the spread of Omicron.

“Much has happened over the last few days and I’ve been watching very carefully with my colleagues across the country, in BC and around the world,” Dr. Bonnie Henry said today.

What health officials do know is that there has been a dramatic upturn in cases for the most populated areas of the province over the past week.

Cases are skyrocketing in Vancouver Coastal Health and Fraser Health, while there has been a significant uptick in cases for Island Health as well.

Henry said the province needs to buy time to learn more about Omicron and ensure more of the population is able to receive booster doses of the vaccine.

“If we don’t take measures based on what we do know, it could be too late to prevent something catastrophic,” the provincial health officer explained.

As a result, the following restrictions will take effect at 11:59 pm on Wednesday and be in place until Jan. 18 at the earliest:

• No indoor organized gatherings of any size (Weddings, receptions, Christmas parties, celebratory events, etc.)
• Bars and nightclubs ordered to close.
• Gyms, fitness centres and dance studios ordered to close.
• Seated events reduced to 50% capacity regardless of venue size. Vaccination checks and masks are mandatory.
• Maximum of six per table at restaurants, cafes, pub, etc.
• Personal gatherings limited to your household plus one other household or 10 guests, all vaccinated remains in place.

These are in addition to the restrictions announced on Friday that are now in effect and will remain in place until Jan. 31 at the earliest:

• Indoor personal gatherings, including rental vacation properties, are limited to the household or resident plus 10 other individuals if they are all vaccinated.
• Sports tournaments are cancelled.
• BC Vaccine Card QR codes will need to be scanned for entry to any organized event.
• All organized New Year’s Eve events are cancelled.
• Restaurants must restrict movement and mingling between tables at all times.
• Retail stores need to have COVID-19 safety plans in place for holiday and Boxing Day sales to avoid crowding.

Today’s briefing from Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix addressed some global trends about Omicron that have been learned through public health monitoring over the weekend.

It’s been confirmed that Omicron is more transmissible than Delta and spreading rapidly through populations, with one study out of Ontario showing that it is spreading to five times as many people.

There are still questions about the severity of illness, but health officials have great concerns about the potential for a significant impact on hospitals.

Immune escape has also been confirmed, which means Omicron has been infecting people who previously had COVID-19 and those who are fully vaccinated.

One thing that didn't see restrictions placed on it today is non-essential travel, which was limited in BC due to the pandemic earlier this year.

Henry explained the reason for that is balance and that people need to be able to spend time with their families during these difficult times and following a pandemic holiday season in 2020.

The PHO noted that health officials have learned throughout the pandemic that travel restrictions can slow the spread a bit, but the new variant is already in various regions of BC and will find a way to spread with or without travel restrictions.

She urged people to keep family gatherings, whether they involve travel or not, as small and safe as possible.