B.C.'s new COVID-19 restrictions on religious gatherings met with mixed reactions
New restrictions on in-person religious gatherings in B.C. have been met with mixed reactions from places of worship.
On Tuesday, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry announced multiple new restrictions including the removal of an indoor mask mandate exemption.
Previously, those attending church services and other religious gatherings were exempt from provincial mask mandates, though they were still encouraged to wear face coverings.
However, with concerns caused by the new Omicron variant, Henry lifted the exemption.
"There'll be some tension,” said Mardi Dolfo-Smith, discipleship pastor at the North Shore Alliance Church.
"We understand why that’s a requirement but it will cause some hardship for some of our people who are adverse to wearing masks.”
On top of the mask mandate, worship services must now be limited to 50 per cent capacity, unless every participant is vaccinated.
Dolfo-Smith says they’ll go with the capacity limit option to ensure none of their members are left out.
"The people that have chosen not get vaccinated really need to be in the community, they need to meet with us, they need to know they're cared for and loved,” she said.
“Excluding them could be detrimental to the unity in our community."
Dolfo-Smith says they fear that the province will soon make full vaccination a requirement for everybody entering into places of worship.
“That would cause a lot of conflict in our community," she said.
However, at the Congregation Beth Israel Conservative Synagogue, that same concern is not shared.
"We have had a vaccine mandate in place for a number of months now,” said Rabbi Jonathan Infeld.
Infeld says their members were in support of the requirement, with little to no push back.
"People have been happy to show their vaccine passport or other proof that they're vaccinated, it's gone really well.”
No timetable was given on how long the new rules will remain in place.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Air quality advisories issued in 5 provinces, 1 territory
Air quality advisories are in effect across Western Canada as smoky conditions plague some areas, according to the latest forecasts. Here's where.
'Oh my God, you're my brother': Man in his 70s discovers 6 unknown siblings
After receiving a DNA kit one Christmas from his son-in-law, Hugh McCormick soon discovered that he had six unknown siblings, with whom he shared the same birth parents.
No refund for travellers who cancelled flight already scrapped by airline: regulator
Four years on, the controversy over whether airlines owed refunds to passengers after cancelling hundreds of thousands of flights during the pandemic continues to simmer, aggravated by a sluggish, opaque complaints process.
Just how bad are ultraprocessed foods? Here are 5 things to know
Many foods fall under the category of ultraprocessed foods, depending on their exact ingredients. This type of food has been studied a lot lately, and the results aren’t great.
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Rates of cancer declining in Canada, but more work needed to save lives: projections
A new study projecting declining rates of cancer cases and deaths in Canada demonstrates the success of prevention and early detection programs, but also highlights areas where more work is needed to save and prolong lives, researchers say.
DEVELOPING Trump trial arrives at a pivotal moment: Star witness Michael Cohen is poised to take the stand
The star prosecution witness in Donald Trump's hush money trial is set to take the stand Monday with testimony that could help shape the outcome of the first criminal case against an American president.
India's mammoth election is more than halfway done as millions begin voting in fourth round
Millions of Indians across 96 constituencies began casting their ballots on Monday as the country's gigantic, six-week-long election edges past its halfway mark. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking a third straight term with an eye on winning a supermajority in Parliament.
Ottawa pizzeria places among top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world at international competition
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.