VANCOUVER -- Indoor faith services can resume with certain COVID-19 safety measures in place, B.C. health officials announced Thursday.
Two days after announcing B.C.'s restart plan, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry had an update for faith communities in the province.
"The updated (guidance) has been posted today and guidelines about how indoor faith services can be started today safely," she said. "That includes allowance for up to 50 people at indoor faith services with detailed COVID safety plans in place."
That limit includes all leaders, staff and musicians. An extra two people can be present to ensure everyone is following the safety guidelines.
Those attending an indoor service should stay two metres apart from others, unless they're people from their own household. Everyone at the indoor service must wear a face covering, including the worship leader, unless they're speaking and there is three metres between them and anyone else.
Everyone attending the service must also be pre-registered and their contact information must be collected.
While funerals and baptisms that are part of a regular religious service are included, weddings are not, Henry said.
"Right now we want to proceed slowly and carefully," she said.
Henry said B.C.'s faith communities have had meetings with health officials throughout the pandemic.
The changes made to the provincial health order on faith-based gatherings were meant to be made in late March. However, B.C. entered its temporary circuit breaker to curb the disease's spread at that time, which meant that plan was put on hold.
Henry took a moment to thank the "wise faith leaders" who worked with health officials to develop the guidelines.
"I look forward to our ongoing revision and opening up of all indoor faith services in the coming steps of our restart program," she said.
Full details on the new provincial guidelines for faith services can be found online.
