VANCOUVER -- Crowds flocked to Metro Vancouver parks and beaches this weekend to bask in the warm glow of the blazing sun, with temperatures soaring into the high 20s in places.
But, beach weather obviously presents special challenges with physical distancing guidelines still in place to help combat the spread of COVID-19.
CTV News cameras saw several groups gathered close together at English Bay, including a group of six teens sitting side by side who confirmed they do not live in the same household.
“If people were really worried about it, they’d stay home,” one of the boys said to a video journalist. “People are going out in public and freaking out that people aren’t social distancing but if you’re that worried about it then stay home yourself.”
That perspective doesn’t match the advice of public health officials, who have said repeatedly that distancing measures are intended to protect the whole of society, not the individual practicing them.
"We need to remind people that we're not yet safe from this virus and that we're going to have to do things that are different to protect all of us, and to protect the people we care for the most,” Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said on Saturday.
There are also some people who remain confused about the timeline for a gradual easing of restrictions.
“Remember what Dr. Bonnie (Henry) said,” one woman at English Bay told CTV News. “Your circle can get bigger now, and I think that’s what some people are doing.”
But expanding social circles is something that isn’t supposed to happen until phase two of B.C.’s reopening plan, which could begin next weekend.
"We're not quite there yet, so please hold off,” Henry said Saturday.
