All organized New Year's Eve events suspended in B.C., top doctor says

Hoping to curb an alarming surge in COVID-19 cases over the holiday season, B.C.'s top doctor says all organized New Year's Eve events are suspended in the province.

Dr. Bonnie Henry announced the measure during an afternoon news conference Friday when she unveiled several new restrictions that come into place on Monday. The restrictions include new rules for personal gatherings, capacity limits for large events, and limits to local sports tournaments.

Henry said she's suspending organized New Year's Eve parties, no matter the size, because they can become super-spreading events.

"There can be no mixing of guests for receptions, for parties," Henry said, adding that there is an exception in place for meals at restaurants, as long as people remain at their tables.

"Restaurants can continue to operate at full capacity and can have New Year's Eve meals."

Henry said the last-minute restrictions announced ahead of New Year's Eve 2020 will not be returning, however, meaning that people can still celebrate with a small group at a restaurant without liquor sales being cut off early in the evening.

Dancing at venues of every kind remains off-limits, as it has since early in the pandemic.

Messaging posted on the province's website Friday afternoon outlining the latest restrictions differed slightly from Henry's explanation, however. Those rules suggested organized seated events can still happen.

"New Year's parties are not allowed. Events held on December 31 must be seated events. Standing, mingling or dancing is not permitted," the website said Friday.

Asked about this discrepancy, a Ministry of Health spokesperson clarified that the exception to the New Year's Eve events ban is primarily for restaurants.

No one in B.C. should be hosting a New Year's Eve party, whether at home or at a formal venue, according to the ministry.

The two exceptions to this rule are meals at restaurants - where the rules about remaining seated, mingling and dancing apply - and small private gatherings - where rules limiting guests to 10 people or one additional household and requiring everyone 12 and older to be vaccinated are in place. 

With files from CTV News Vancouver's Andrew Weichel