VANCOUVER -- B.C.'s premier says he is hopeful that the province will be able to move to the next phase of its COVID-19 restart plan by next week.

John Horgan made the remarks during a news conference in Victoria Wednesday where he announced the province is looking for public feedback as it reopens its economy.

"I'm hopeful based on the numbers we've seen over the past number of weeks that we'll be in a position to move to Phase 3 sometime next week," Horgan said Wednesday in Victoria.

When asked about whether he felt it was appropriate to start making summer vacation bookings, the premier said he was "looking at making bookings (himself)."

Horgan says provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry will be releasing new modelling data next week that will "help guide the decisions that cabinet will make with respect to various orders around travel."

"Although the risk of the pandemic has not left us – COVID-19 remains in British Columbia and people have to remain vigilant – we are in a place where we can start talking about, what does the future look like?" he said.