B.C. to update COVID-19 restrictions after indicating they could ease
CBC
British Columbia's provincial health officer is scheduled to hold a COVID-19 briefing Thursday after indicating earlier this month that more pandemic restrictions could be lifted by mid-March.
Dr. Bonnie Henry will join Health Minister Adrian Dix for a news conference at 12:30 p.m. PT. CBC will livestream the event.
Henry said last week the province was better positioned to consider removing pandemic restrictions before students begin spring break on Monday.
She said hospitalization numbers are down, immunity from vaccines is up and more at-home rapid tests are being distributed.
But Henry has also said the coronavirus is still circulating widely in some parts of the province.
Unlike some other provinces, B.C. still requires masks in indoor public places and vaccine cards must be shown.
Ontario, for example, has already lifted all capacity limits and proof of vaccination, while it plans to end mask mandates in most places like restaurants on March 21.
There has been speculation that Thursday's announcement could include the lifting of mask mandates, which will be of particular interest to businesses and organizations that have required customers to wear facemasks for many months now.
Translink CEO Kevin Quinn said the organization would consider lifting the mask mandate on transit vehicles if public health advice allowed it, but that it would have the final say.
"We'll take in [Henry's] recommendations and take a really hard look at our policy before making any decisions," Quinn said Thursday on The Early Edition.
"We've always aligned with the most timely public health advice. It's a big decision so I think for our part we very much want to hear what the provincial health officer has to say and go from there."
Quinn said even if the mask mandate is lifted, patrons can still wear a facemask on transit if they feel more comfortable doing so.
Some transit users have said they would rather the mask mandate remained because transit is exempt from other restrictions.
"There's no vaccine card requirement and no capacity limit right now on transit… the only protection that we have is masks," said Daryl Dela Cruz, a daily transit rider in Surrey, B.C., who has started a petition asking TransLink and public health officials to keep facemasks mandatory.
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