Provincial Health Orders Extended to February 16th

This week, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry extended the current Public Health Orders on Gatherings and Events along with the Order on Food & Liquor serving premises. A copy of the current PHO will be available here and a summary of each is detailed below.
 
In a new development, gyms and fitness centres will be allowed to start gradually reopening as of Thursday. Changes include:

• When gyms reopen, plans must include occupancy limits based on seven square metres per person,
• Up to a maximum of 25 people per space
• The vaccine card will still be required to enter.
• Masks must be worn at all times with the exception of when someone is exercising

PHO on Gatherings & Events

A quick summary:
Indoor organized gatherings of any size are not allowed. Examples include:

• Sponsored or ticketed parties, celebrations
• Wedding and funeral receptions

Outdoor organized gatherings

• Outdoor organized seated gatherings can have a capacity of 5,000 people or 50% capacity, whichever is greater.
• For example, if the venue has a normal seated capacity of 30,000 people, 15,000 people can attend. 

Indoor events at venues

• Indoor events at venues can only have 50% capacity, no matter the size. Examples of indoor events at venues include:
• Concerts, theatre, dance and symphony performances
• Sports events and movies
• Lectures, presentations and workshops
• Sponsored and ticketed events

Everyone must be fully vaccinated to attend.

• Venues must scan proof of vaccination QR codes for entry
• Everyone must wear a mask indoors
• Dancing is not permitted. All spectators must be seated

Organized gatherings by sector

• Fairs, festivals and trade shows are limited to 50% capacity with a COVID-19 safety plan.

PHO on Food & Liquor Serving Areas

Update provided by ABLE BC:

• Premises which are licensed to serve liquor, and which do not have full meal service, must be closed.
• “full meal service” includes food provided by a caterer to the premises or available from a food truck located beside or on the premises, but does not include snacks, appetizers or tapas on their own.
•  Patrons must stay in the seat to which they are assigned, or at which they seat themselves, and must not move from table to table or mingle with patrons from other parties when not seated.
•  No more than 6 patrons may be seated at a table, unless the party consists of one set of parents and their minor children.
•  Patrons must remain seated, other than in private clubs or tasting rooms with a liquor manufacturer’s licence, except:
• to  to use a self- serve food or drink station, a self-serve lottery ticket dispenser, pay at a pay station, use washroom facilities, to provide assistance to another person who requires care or first aid, when leaving the premises, or
• to play pool, billiards, snooker, or darts, or bowl (if there is a bowling alley on premises), with a maximum of five other persons who are in the same party as the patron and who are seated with the patron:
• There must be a distance of two metres between the backs of the seats of patrons seated at adjacent tables or booths, even if members of the same party are seated at adjacent tables or booths, unless the adjacent tables or booths are separated by physical barriers.
• There must be two metres between patrons seated at a counter, unless the patrons are in the same party or they are separated by physical barriers.
• If there are physical barriers between tables or booths or seats at a counter, the tops and bottoms of the physical barriers must be positioned so that the physical barriers block the transmission of droplets produced by breathing, talking, coughing or sneezing between patrons who are seated at adjacent tables, booths or seats at a counter.
• Dance floors must be closed with physical barriers or occupied with tables.
• Patrons must not dance on the premises.