B.C. imposes new gathering limits, restaurant rules, vaccine requirements as COVID-19 cases surge

Vancouver -

The B.C. government has announced a raft of new COVID-19 restrictions as the province braces for an expected explosion in cases triggered by the fast-spreading Omicron variant.

The measures, which take effect Monday and are scheduled to remain throughout the month of January, include new size limits for personal gatherings, stricter rules for dining at restaurants, and the expansion of vaccine passport requirements.

The province is also bringing back a 50 per cent capacity limit for larger venues, pausing sports tournaments, and suspending organized New Year's Eve gatherings of any size.

"This is, of course, not where we want to be," provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said. "But it is the reality of where we are. And right now, we need to slow the spread and ensure that our health-care system and our communities are protected."

Henry said that while much remains unknown about the Omicron variant, the alarming pace at which it spreads could quickly put a strain on B.C.'s hospitals and their weary staff, even if the variant is less likely to cause severe illness than previous iterations.

None of the province's Omicron cases have required hospitalization so far, but Henry said most have involved younger people who are fully vaccinated.

As of last week, Omicron had a reproductive rate of 4.55 in Ontario, meaning each new infection was leading to more than four additional cases, on average. Health officials said B.C. is approximately one week behind that province in terms of Omicron's rise to dominance among the variants.

"We see the trajectory in countries around the world, and we're not going to be an exception to that," Henry said. "We will see rapidly rising cases over the next few weeks."

Gathering limits

The amended provincial health orders will limit indoor personal gatherings to 10 outside guests or one other household, with a requirement that everyone in attendance who is age 12 or over be vaccinated.

It also applies to personal gatherings at resorts and rental properties.

Henry said households with even a single family member or roommate who is unvaccinated will not be allowed to throw parties or gatherings.

"If you are unvaccinated or have members of your family who are unvaccinated, we cannot have personal gatherings in those settings right now," she said.

Restaurant rules

The previous restriction that bans restaurant patrons from moving between tables is also coming back, preventing parties from occupying multiple tables and mingling from one table to another.

Henry said establishments will need to return to COVID-19 safety plans that helped get the province through previous surges as well, but has not provided further details.

Vaccine requirements

Health officials said the requirement to check proof of vaccination will be applied to organized gatherings of any size. Previously, organized events with fewer than 50 guests were exempt.

Event staff will also need to begin scanning QR codes when checking vaccine cards, a measure that will prevent people from presenting fraudulent proof at the door.

Previously, staff members were allowed to visually check vaccine cards against a piece of personal identification when admitting attendees.

Venue capacity limits

Larger venues that hold 1,000 people or more will be limited to 50 per cent capacity to provide for more space between attendees.

Henry noted that large-scale events have been "managed very well" so far, and haven't resulted in much transmission, but stressed that the Omicron variant has significantly changed the risk factors.

"With this highly transmissible variant we need to have more space, more ventilation, and we need to ensure that we are enforcing the mask-wearing requirements that are in place for these events," she said.

Sports tournaments

The order also suspends sports tournaments until the end of January, for both youth and adult teams.

Officials said there's too much risk of transmission occurring at events where teams travel from multiple different regions and compete over a number of days.

"Those are events where we can see the spread of the virus and then (players) taking it back to different communities," Henry said.

"Teams can continue to have games and to travel for games but only when you're playing one-on-one in a limited timeframe."

The provincial health officer acknowledged the restriction will affect a number of hockey tournaments over the holiday season, including some that were scheduled to begin on Boxing Day.

New Year's Eve events

Every organized New Year's Eve party has been suspended, no matter the size, to avoid turning into a super-spreader event.

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.

"Restaurants can continue to operate at full capacity and can have New Year's Eve meals," Henry said. "But there can be no mixing of guests for receptions, for parties."

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

People can also host friends or family at home on Dec. 31 under the same personal gathering rules that will be in place through January.