COVID-19 Update: July 22, 2021
Dear ABLE BC Members and Industry Colleagues,
Here’s what you’ll find inside today’s update:
Reminder: Liquor retail stores can sell to Special Event Permits
Complete our survey: Hospitality Industry Outlook
Webinar on July 28: Transitioning from COVID-19 to Communicable Disease Prevention in the Workplace
Government of Canada announces easing of border measures for fully vaccinated travellers
Wildfire Preparedness in BC
Emergency messaging for BC’s tourism industry
WorkSafeBC 2022 Preliminary Base Rates announced
New Regional Resource Guides for Small Business Resiliency
Helping the Tourism & Hospitality Industry Return to a New Normal: go2HR Labour Market Survey
Communicable Disease Prevention Plans: go2HR Resources and Complimentary Review Process
Responding to difficult guest situations during a pandemic: new scripts
New policy directive for Cannabis Retail Stores
Find all past COVID-19 updates here.
Reminder: Liquor retail stores can sell to Special Event Permits
On July 13, the provincial government announced a significant liquor policy change: for the first time in our industry’s history, private liquor retailers can sell to Special Event Permit holders.
Read the government news release here.
With this change, the following licensees can sell liquor products to SEP holders:
BC Liquor Stores
Licensee Retail Stores
BC wineries with an onsite store
BC breweries with an onsite store
BC distilleries with an onsite store
Wine Stores (excluding Sacramental Wine Stores)
Special Wine Stores
Rural Licensee Retail Stores
Important note for Rural Licensee Retail Stores: an RLRS no longer requires general manager approval to sell product to SEP holders.
The inclusion of Licensee Retail Stores, Wine Stores (excluding Sacramental Wine Stores), Specialty Wine Stores and Rural Licensee Retail Stores will provide additional support to liquor retailers and provide SEP holders with more choice in liquor selection and where they can purchase their liquor.
This change not only introduces a new revenue stream for private liquor retailers, it also corrects the previous unfair policy of forcing consumers to purchase only from government’s BC Liquor Stores.
For more information, please read the government news release and Policy Directive 21-15.
Complete our survey: Hospitality Industry Outlook
Every quarter, ABLE BC is releasing an Industry Outlook survey to better understand how your hospitality businesses are recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Take the survey. Note: a separate survey for private liquor retailers will be released shortly.
Tell us what your business needs to survive and thrive this summer. The information you provide will support our ongoing engagement with all levels of government.
If you have any questions or concerns about this survey, please contact ABLE BC: info@ablebc.ca.
Note: individual results and any business information shared will be kept confidential. Results will be presented as aggregate data.
Webinar on July 28: Transitioning from COVID-19 to Communicable Disease Prevention in the Workplace
Join the BC Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, July 28, 2021 at 1:00 pm PDT as they hear from Chris Back, director of OHS Consultation & Education Services at WorkSafeBC on Transitioning from COVID-19 to communicable disease prevention in the workplace.
About the event:
Beginning with Step 3 of the provincial government’s BC Restart plan, employers will no longer be required to maintain a COVID-19 Safety Plan, and will instead transition to communicable disease prevention. Chris Back, director of OHS Consultation and Education Services, discusses the fundamental components of communicable disease prevention (CDP) and shares information and resources to support employers in developing their CDP plans.
Event details:
When: Wednesday, July 28, 2021 at 1:00PM PDTRegister in advance for this meeting: CLICK HERE
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing the zoom information to join the meeting.
Government of Canada announces easing of border measures for fully vaccinated travellers
On September 7, 2021, provided that Canada’s COVID-19 epidemiology remains favourable, the federal government intends to open Canada’s borders for recreational travel by fully-vaccinated travellers from any country. Fully vaccinated travellers are those who have completed the full course of vaccination with a Government of Canada-accepted vaccine at least 14 days prior to entering Canada and who meet specific entry requirements.
As a first step, starting August 9, 2021, Canada plans to begin allowing entry to American citizens and permanent residents, who are currently residing in the United States, and have been fully vaccinated at least 14 days prior to entering Canada for recreational travel. This preliminary step allows for the Government of Canada to fully operationalize the adjusted border measures ahead of September 7, and recognizes the many close ties between Canadians and Americans.
Tourism businesses are encouraged to share information around this next phase of re-opening, so we can all be ready to welcome back visitors first from the US, and then around the world. Destination BC will update their Messaging Guidance for BC’s Tourism Industry prior to August 9, but for now, here are some key messages to share:
Visitors can feel confident in making travel plans as tourism businesses throughout Canada have made huge investments in new hygiene protocols.
Canada’s adult population has one of the world’s highest rates of COVID-19 vaccination.
Travel to Canada is going to be different than it was prior to the pandemic.
We encourage all travellers to be fully informed of the pre-entry and on-arrival public health and testing requirements both federally and provincially. This includes the mandatory use of the ArriveCAN app. Travellers should plan for extra time in the lead up, and upon the arrival of their trip.
For the latest information on travel to Canada including the updated federal requirements and restrictions, please visit the Government of Canada’s Travel and Tourism page.
Wildfire Preparedness in BC
Tourism and hospitality operators in BC face a devastating new challenge to the restart and the reopening of their businesses as the province moves towards recovery – wildfires. As this year’s wildfire season has started earlier than usual, we have seen these natural disasters vastly impact businesses and communities. Employers need to be prepared in advance, in the event they and their employees have to respond quickly to a wildfire situation.
Below are three practical tips from go2HR to help get you started:
Prepare in advance: when natural disasters strike, tourism operators play a vital role in providing information, direction, and guidance for tourists and visitors unfamiliar with BC and its potential hazards. The following PreparedBC: Emergency Planning Resources for Tourism Operators provide industry-specific resources available for your use in preparing for emergencies.
Be ready to respond: if you are on evacuation alert or think you will be put on evacuation alert, there are some important steps you will want to consider. Review your evacuation plan and start the implementation process.
Encourage employees to be personally prepared: ensure staff are personally prepared and have a household emergency plan to keep their own families safe. Employees will be more resilient knowing how to protect themselves at home and at work.
BC Wildfire Service provides regular updates on current wildfire activity in BC, including details about specific wildfires, fire response efforts, and Fire Danger Ratings across the province.
Emergency messaging for BC’s tourism industry
In response to BC’s provincial state of emergency regarding wildfires, which was declared on July 20, Destination BC has prepared Emergency Messaging Guidance to help the tourism industry navigate questions, mitigate visitor concerns, and proactively manage perceptions.
During emergencies, BC’s tourism industry is an important conduit to official information sources for visitors. As part of this, DBC is encouraging industry partners to use the hashtag #RealTime________ (name of city/community) on social media to ensure current and future visitors have an accurate ‘real time’ visual on current conditions (blue skies, business as usual etc.). Add the date and time the photo was taken, and tag key tourism partners in your post (@DestinationBC on Twitter, @HelloBC on Instagram) and your Regional/Community DMO partners so it can be amplified.
Emergencies can impact travel, visitors, and businesses at any time, and potentially influence those who may be planning a trip to our province. DBC’s priority is ensuring that travellers have all the official resources they need to make informed decisions based on the latest, on-the-ground information, and to encourage them to keep consulting these resources for any updates before and during their trips.
The messaging guidance can be found on the Emergency Preparedness page of the Destination BC corporate website, along with safe and responsible travel graphics for you to use on your channels, a visitor-facing safe travel brochure (web and print version), and the links to our Know Before You Go information.
WorkSafeBC 2022 Preliminary Base Rates announced
WorkSafeBC has just announced the preliminary base rates for 2022. Many tourism and hospitality classification unit base rates are down on 2021 and some have remained steady. Here is a list of the preliminary base rates for a selection of tourism and hospitality classification units, along with the 2021 comparison:
Casino or other gaming operations
2022 preliminary rate: $0.77
2021 rate: $0.80
Coffee shops and ice cream parlours
2022 preliminary rate: $0.58
2021 rate: $0.61
Golf course
2022 preliminary rate: $1.22
2021 rate: $1.21
Mobile catering, food trucks and carts
2022 preliminary rate: $1.25
2021 rate: $1.50
Overnight and short-term accommodation
2022 preliminary rate: $1.55
2021 rate: $1.67
Park, campground, or trail maintenance
2022 preliminary rate: $1.77
2021 rate: $2.06
Pub, bar, nightclub, or lounge
2022 preliminary rate: $0.78
2021 rate: $0.78
Restaurant or other dining establishment
2022 preliminary rate: $0.79
2021 rate: $0.79
Ski hill
2022 preliminary rate: $5.55
2021 rate: $5.55
Read the full WorkSafeBC announcement regarding the 2022 preliminary base rates here.
New Regional Resource Guides for Small Business Resiliency
The BC Chamber of Commerce has launched seven regional Resource Guides for Small Business Resiliency. The Resource Guides are tailor-made to support businesses in each of the seven economic regions of British Columbia as they navigate the COVID-19 pandemic on their road to recovery as set out in BC’s Restart Plan.
The Resource Guides are designed to house a broad mix of region-specific resources in one spot for easy reference and navigation. The Guides have been developed using data from the BC Chamber of Commerce Pulse Check surveys and with information collected in focus groups and from consultations with different sectors and industries from all economic regions of British Columbia. The resources outlined in the Guides address core aspects of pandemic recovery including:
Health and Safety
Government programming
Sector-specific initiatives
Legal and regulatory requirements
How to reopen, maintain, pivot, or expand your business; and
Additional small business tools, including diversity and inclusion considerations.
Download your regional Resource Guide for Small Business Resiliency today to support your business through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Helping the Tourism & Hospitality Industry Return to a New Normal: go2HR Labour Market Survey
Participate in this survey from go2HR and be entered into a draw for prizes valued at $1,500.
go2HR has been hard at work undertaking a Labour Market Information research project to better understand the impact of COVID-19 on our workforce. Even before COVID-19, the tourism and hospitality industry faced some significant human resource challenges. We know these challenges will only increase as we emerge from the pandemic.
go2HR needs your help! They need to hear from employers across all sectors and regions of the province. They ask for 25 minutes of your time to complete this survey.
go2HR wants to hear about the impact of COVID-19 on your operations, the human resource issues you face, and what can be done to help industry in dealing with these issues going forward.
Any information you provide will be held confidential, used only for the purpose of this study, and reported only in summary form with the responses of other respondents. Your answers will be automatically saved as you go through the survey. Please provide your input and insights and take the survey today.
Communicable Disease Prevention Plans: go2HR Resources and Complimentary Review Process
BC employers can now transition away from posting a copy of COVID-19 Safety Plan at their workplace towards a broader communicable disease prevention approach.
Much like go2HR helped businesses create their COVID-19 Safety Plans, they are now offering resources to help businesses create their communicable disease prevention plans.
go2HR has created a communicable disease prevention plan resources page where you can access templates to quickly build your business’s plan. They have also implemented a complimentary review process where they will review your new communicable disease prevention plan. This new service is designed to support employers in conducting an effective review of their communicable disease prevention plans, and to help ensure all the fundamental elements of WorkSafeBC’s guide are included.
Responding to difficult guest situations during a pandemic: new scripts
With the changes that step 3 in BC’s Restart Plan has implemented, continuing to provide positive guest experiences during this period of re-opening in our communities can be challenging. This is especially true with the added complexity of changing restrictions and guidelines and when some guests are not following businesses’ established health and safety protocols.
To help with this challenge, go2HR has updated new, free script documents for frontline staff to refer to in tough situations. Their team of HR, health and safety, and training experts have developed scenarios which workers could encounter in their workplace, and suggested scripts on how to respond to these challenging interactions.
New policy directive for Cannabis Retail Stores
On July 14, 2021, the LCRB released Policy Directive 21-16: Prescribed circumstances for extension to dormancy for Cannabis Retail Store (CRS) licences; and additional changes to the CRS Terms and Conditions Handbook, amendments to the CLR and Cannabis Control Regulation (CCR), and the repeal of Cannabis Control and Licensing Transitional Regulation (CCLTR).
Prescribed circumstances for extension to dormancy for Cannabis Retail Store licences
Currently, the GM is not required to cancel a licence that has been dormant for two or more years if the GM is satisfied that:
The establishment ceased operations because the establishment was substantially damaged by fire, flood or another event beyond the licensee’s control
As a result, the establishment required extensive renovations which commenced in the two year period and were continuous to the end of the two year period
After the two year period, work on renovations is continuous to the restart of establishment operations.
Under the new policy, the CLR has been amended to recognize additional prescribed circumstances in which the GM is not required to cancel a dormant licence. Please review the CLR for the prescribed circumstances.
Additional Changes to the CRS Terms and Conditions Handbook
The CRS Terms and Conditions Handbook has been updated with the following changes:
Changes to reflect new prescribed circumstances for extension to dormancy
Authority for licensees to store cannabis in secure storage areas
Requirement to have 24/7 video surveillance of the establishment and retain security camera footage for at least 30 days after recording
Creation of three new sections – “Display of Cannabis and Cannabis Accessories” “Smell and Touch Jars” and “Storage and Disposal of Cannabis Used in Smell and Touch Jars”
Stipulation that licensees cannot participate in third party internet group discounts that include cannabis.
Amendments to the CLR and Cannabis Control Regulation (CCR) and the repeal of Cannabis Control and Licensing Transitional Regulation (CCLTR)
As a result of the CCLA consolidations, there have been regulation amendments.
These regulatory changes include:
Repealing sections of the CLR and CCR made under section 139 of the CCLA and consolidates them in the CCLA
Repealing the CCLTR
Aligning sections of the CLR with new provisions of the amended CCLA.
These amendments are technical in nature and do not change the regulatory requirements or government policy with respect to cannabis regulation.