Date: March 11, 2021.
Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.’s provincial health officer, and Adrian Dix, Minister of Health, have issued a joint statement regarding updates on the COVID-19 response in British Columbia, and the B.C. Government has updated the advice posted on the Province-wide Restrictions webpage:
“The PHO is amending the gathering and events order. Up to 10 people may now gather outdoors. All restrictions for indoor gatherings remain in place. For example:
- Up to 10 people may gather at a park or beach
- Up to 10 people may gather in the backyard of a residence
- No gatherings of any size are allowed indoors
- Do not gather with several groups of new people – stick to the same people. Continue to use COVID-19 layers of protection and maintain physical distancing.”
The UBC events team is aware of the update, and will update the FAQs on the status of events soon.
Because of St Patrick’s Day next week, the Provincial Health Officer Order on food and liquor establishments is being amended to restrict alcohol sales as they were on New Year’s Eve so workgroups who reference these orders in their COVID-19 Safety Plans should review the new orders to ensure they are compliant. PHO Orders can be found on the Government website by clicking here.
Please remember that infection prevention advice from health agencies remains unchanged:
- Wash your hands frequently for at least 20 seconds using soap and water.
- If a sink is not available, 60-90% alcohol-based hand rubs (hand sanitizer) can be used to clean hands if they are not visibly soiled. If they are visibly soiled, you can use an alcohol-based disposable hand wipe to remove the dirt and then use an alcohol-based hand rub.
- Do not touch your eyes/nose/mouth with unwashed hands.
- When you sneeze or cough, cover your mouth and nose with a disposable tissue or the crease of your elbow, and then wash your hands.
- Stay home when you are ill to avoid spreading the illness to others.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick with an infection.