B.C.'s top doctor says residents should still wear masks in indoor public spaces as mandate lifts

Dr. Bonnie Henry leaves the podium after talking about the next steps in B.C.'s COVID-19 Immunization Plan during a press conference at Legislature in Victoria, B.C., on Friday, January 22, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito

Vancouver -

British Columbia's top doctor is encouraging people to continue wearing masks in all indoor places, even as they're no longer mandatory starting Canada Day.

Dr. Bonnie Henry says masks remain an important layer of protection until more people have immunity from two doses of vaccine, which nearly 31 per cent of residents aged 12 and over have received.

Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix said in a joint statement Wednesday that 44 new cases of COVID-19 have been diagnosed, for a total of nearly 148,000 cases.

Of the 816 active cases, 108 people are hospitalized, and 34 of them are in intensive care.

Henry and Dix say the next phase of B.C.'s restart plan is a chance to look ahead and reconnect but also to recognize the challenges various communities have faced over the last year and a half.

Police and ICBC will be launching a summer CounterAttack campaign as public health orders are eased and nightclubs and casinos are open for the first time since last year.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 30, 2021.