COVID-19 recovery: Here are the rules that will be lifted under Step 2 of B.C.'s restart plan
With weekly COVID-19 case averages still falling in B.C. and vaccination rates rising, residents in the province might be wondering when more restrictions will lift.
The very earliest restrictions will ease further is June 15, which is when the province might enter Step 2 of its COVID-19 recovery plan.
Health officials in B.C. have been cautious to not promise restrictions will lift on that date, saying vaccination rates must increase and case counts must continue to fall.
But during Thursday's COVID-19 briefing, Health Minister Adrian Dix said he, Premier John Horgan and Dr. Bonnie Henry will "be addressing issues on Monday around Step 1 and Step 2."
Henry also presented the latest modelling data on Thursday and said it shows B.C. "will be in a good position to continue safely moving forward with our restart plan."
So if the province enters Step 2 next week, what does that mean? The following are the guidelines the province said would be part of Step 2 when B.C.'s recovery plan was first released on May 25.
New rules for gatherings
In Step 2, rules for personal indoor gatherings don't change. The same rules from Step 1 will apply: up to five visitors are allowed at a personal residence.
However, the province says rules for outdoor personal gatherings will shift. In Step 1, only gatherings of up to 10 people are permitted. But in Step 2, outdoor personal gatherings can have up to 50 people. Those can include birthdays, backyard barbecues and block parties, the province says.
As well, playdates are encouraged.
For organized events, indoor seated gatherings of up to 50 people are permitted with a COVID-19 safety plan in place. In Step 1, those gatherings – unless it’s a religious worship service – are limited to 10 people.
Local travel restrictions ease
Under Step 1, B.C. residents are encouraged to travel within their health region only. But under Step 2, provincial travel restrictions will lift, allowing residents to travel recreationally throughout B.C.
The province says transit services, including BC Ferries, will increase their operations as needed.
New guidelines for restaurants and workplaces
Starting in Step 2, restaurants and bars will be allowed to serve liquor until midnight, instead of until 10 p.m.
Banquet halls will also be allowed to operate with limited capacity and with a COVID-19 safety plan in place. Health officials say they'll start consulting with that sector to come up with next steps on easing restrictions.
For other workplaces, a gradual return to work will continue and small in-person meetings will be permitted in Step 2.
Sports and recreation
When Step 1 began in B.C., indoor low-intensity group exercise and outdoor games and practices were permitted.
In Step 2, indoor high-intensity group fitness will be allowed with reduced capacity and indoor games and practices for both adults and youth can be held. Spectators won't be allowed at indoor games, but as many as 50 people can watch outdoor games.
"Step 2 is coming up. And so far, the data that we have is supporting that we can go there," Henry said Thursday.
"I'm confident that we can take this step, as long as we increase our contacts in a slow, and measured way, we register and get fully vaccinated, we use our layers of protection and continue to support one another with kindness and compassion."
After entering Step 2, the earliest more restrictions will ease is July 1. That will include removing the mask mandate and instead making masks recommended in indoor public settings, increasing indoor social gatherings, removing group size limits at restaurants and reopening casinos and nightclubs.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.