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B.C.’s mask mandate ends at midnight
Vaccine cards being eliminated April 8
Starting tomorrow (March 11), British Columbians no longer must wear masks in public indoor spaces.
Face coverings will be optional for people in all indoor public settings. However, people may want to continue wearing a mask based on personal choice and individual businesses and organizations can choose to continue to require mask wearing on their premises.
Masks are encouraged on public transit and BC Ferries but are no longer required under public health order.
Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry this afternoon also announced the need to show vaccination cards before entry into public facilities and businesses will be eliminated on April 8.
However, the Ministry of Health noted individual businesses and organizations can choose to continue to require the BC Vaccine Card proof on their premises.
Additionally, long-term care visitation is being restored, capacity limits on faith gatherings are being lifted and restrictions on overnight child and youth camping are lifted as of midnight.
Dr. Henry said the easing of restrictions is due to 90% of the provincial population being fully vaccinated or having contracted COVID-19 and due to hospitalization rates dropping.
“Vaccines are the primary tool in our toolbox for managing COVID-19 in the long term and people have stepped up in a big way to get vaccinated, which has made a huge difference in creating high levels of immunity and protection across the province,” said Dr. Henry. “As we move through this transition period and lift restrictions, we encourage people to respect the comfort levels of those around them.”
Also on April 8, businesses will be allowed to transition from a COVID-19 safety plan to a communicable disease plan and the post-secondary residence vaccine requirement is being lifted.
Easing restrictions is based on ongoing and careful review of data by the provincial health officer and the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC). This includes a significant decrease in weekly hospital admissions (from 877 to 391) and 34% decrease in critical care admissions (from 121 to 80) in the past month.
“British Columbians have made tremendous sacrifices and worked hard to do their part over the past two years by following the advice and direction of Dr. Henry,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health. “Thanks to high levels of vaccination, decreasing transmission enabled by British Columbians’ resolve and the public health orders we’ve had in place, we are now able to lift more restrictions and continue moving forward as a province.”
Vaccinations remain the primary layer of protection that has limited severe health outcomes from COVID-19. As of March 10, 2022, 93.3% (4,322,690) of eligible people 12 and older in B.C. have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, 90.7% (4,204,895) received their second dose and 55.7% (2,580,562) have received a third dose.
This is the second time B.C.’s COVID-19 pandemic mask mandate has been lifted when case numbers declined, with the order being lifted in July 2021 before being re-implemented over a month later.
And in another form of pandemic relief: the provincial health officer and the BCCDC will continue to monitor and provide updates on the COVID-19 pandemic in B.C., reporting that “an update will be provided in the coming weeks about the daily information bulletin moving from daily to weekly reporting.”
Lead image: A mask lies discarded on a downtown Fernie street last weekend. Don’t litter. Keep your masks aside, just in case. Ian Cobb/e-KNOW photo
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