'Simply not acceptable': Kelowna businesses react to 'surprise' mask mandate in parts of B.C. Interior
The B.C. chamber representing businesses in the Kelowna area says it was not consulted before a mask mandate aimed at reducing COVID-19 transmission was reinstated in the region.
Officials announced new measures for the Central Okanagan Wednesday as COVID-19 infections have risen in the area.
Dr. Sue Pollock, chief medical health officer for the Interior Health Authority, told CTV News 323 cases were identified in the Central Okanagan since the start of the month, and that 97 per cent of those infected were either partially vaccinated or not vaccinated.
As a result, a mask mandate was reissued for all public indoor spaces for Kelowna, West Kelowna, Peachland and Lake Country.
"We can appreciate that with rising cases of infection in the area that reinstating a mask mandate is warranted but the surprise announcement with absolutely no advance consultation with our organization or the business community is simply not acceptable,” said Dan Rogers, executive director of the Kelowna Chamber, in a news release after the announcement.
“Businesses are frustrated and tired of trying to keep track of what’s required of them when changes are frequent and occasionally appear arbitrary."
Rogers said the chamber had "pushed" for regional rules "a long time ago."
“Now when things are a concern in one small area in the Interior, the B.C. government doesn’t seem to have a problem with regional-based restrictions," Rogers said.
Provincial health officials had previously said that rules would be applied across the board, but that policy changed recently, when B.C. entered Step 3 of its restart plan.
"As we move out of the pandemic, we no longer need to take broad sector, societal, provincial measures to try and stem the transmission of this virus," Dr. Bonnie Henry explained Wednesday. "But we still need to take some measures in those areas where we're seeing high levels of transmission."
It doesn't appear the chamber has an issue with the mask mandate itself, however, saying it may reduce conflicts some businesses had faced with customers.
"The increased case rate is a concern and threatens to dim the light at the end of the tunnel,” Rogers said. "It is a good reminder that the pandemic virus is still out there, and we still need to be diligent in how we operate, and the government needs to do more to encourage those who haven’t been vaccinated to pick up the pace."
But the chamber did seem to take issue with the province's recommendation that people avoid non-essential travel into and out of the Kelowna region if they're not fully vaccinated, saying it's encouraging health authorities "to focus their efforts more on 'how people behave' rather than where they're from."
The mask mandate went into effect at midnight Thursday. Bars, restaurants, gyms, casinos and nightclubs are all allowed to remain open, but must have safety measures in place including mandatory masks and not allowing guests to socialize between tables.
Officials are also recommending that gatherings – especially large ones – be held outdoors instead of indoors.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Most of the city is evacuating': Gridlock on Alberta highway after evacuation order in Fort McMurray
Four Fort McMurray neighbourhoods were ordered to evacuate on Tuesday as a wildfire gets closer to the city.
Sask. police seize 1.5M pieces of evidence, lay 60 more charges in child exploitation case
Saskatchewan RCMP have revealed that a historic sexual assault investigation has led to the discovery of alleged crimes against children dating back to 2005.
'Inappropriate' behaviour shuts down Dublin to New York City portal
Less than a week after two public sculptures featuring a livestream between Dublin, Ireland, and New York City debuted, 'inappropriate behaviour' in real-time interactions between people in the two cities has prompted a temporary shutdown.
Oilers starting Calvin Pickard in goal for Game 4 vs. Canucks
The Edmonton Oilers will start Calvin Pickard in net Tuesday for Game 4 of their playoff series with the Vancouver Canucks.
Biden administration moving ahead on US$1 billion arms package for Israel, AP sources say
The Biden administration has told key lawmakers it is sending a new package of more than US$1 billion in arms and ammunition to Israel, two congressional aides said Tuesday.
King Charles III unveils his first official portrait since his coronation
King Charles III has unveiled the first portrait of the monarch completed since he assumed the throne, a vivid image that depicts him in the bright red uniform of the Welsh Guards against a background of similar hues.
Full List Are these Canada's best restaurants? Annual top 100 list revealed
The annual list of Canada's top restaurants in the country was just released and here are the places that made the 2024 cut.
Alberta announces the 4 health agencies that will replace AHS later this year
The province has released more information on its plan to break up Alberta Health Services and replace it with four sector-based health agencies.
Maximum payout for LifeLabs class-action drops from $150 estimate to $7.86
Canadian LifeLabs customers who filed an application for a class-action settlement began receiving their payments this week, though at a much lower amount than initially expected.