Urgent Update: Province-wide restrictions extended indefinitely

Dear ABLE BC Members and Industry Colleagues,

This morning, Dr. Bonnie Henry announced the province is extending the COVID-19 ban on gatherings and events.

The orders, which include a ban on indoor and outdoor private gatherings, community events, travel, and variants of adult sports, first came into effect on November 19, 2020, and were previously scheduled to end at midnight tonight.

Social gatherings of any size aren’t allowed with anyone other than one’s immediate household. This includes indoor gatherings of fewer than 50 people. Funerals and weddings are allowed to proceed only with your immediate household, and receptions will not be allowed.

In making the announcement, Dr. Henry acknowledged the individual and collective efforts by British Columbians.

And while the curve is slowly and steadily being bent down, “we need to protect the progress we have made since the start of this year and not squander our success,” she said. “To do this, we need to use this time to buy ourselves more time to get our immunizations back on track and push our cases down further.”
As such, Dr. Henry said she is keeping the current province-wide orders in place.

In extending the orders, Dr. Henry also noted she plans to continually review and reconsider the need for restrictions, “based on the incidents and prevalence of this virus, the data, new information about transmission, and the progress of our vaccination supply.”

Dr. Henry did not provide a specific date as to when the orders may potentially be revisited or even lifted, a move she explained was intentional.

For more information about the province-wide restrictions, please click here. Read the Gatherings & Events public order here.

Increased Inspections on Super Bowl Sunday

We have heard reports there will be increased inspections on Super Bowl (i.e. WorkSafeBC, LCRB, health inspectors, etc.) and want to remind members our industry will be under greater scrutiny this weekend.

Operators must be stringent with following COVID-19 protocols and safety plans.

We know the majority of our industry is doing an incredible job adhering to the public orders and creating a safe, healthy, and enjoyable environment for patrons and staff. 

We understand these regulations are incredibly frustrating and damaging to your businesses, but our industry will be under additional scrutiny during Super Bowl Sunday. It is vital that industry works together so customers and workers enjoy a safe Super Bowl.

Abiding by these protocols will help ensure our industry stays open and avoids new or stricter protocols.

If you have any questions or encounter issue this weekend, please feel free to reach out directly to ABLE BC’s Executive Director, Jeff Guignard, at jeff@ablebc.ca. 

For more information please refer to:

If you have any other questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact ABLE BC: info@ablebc.ca.

Ann Brydle