The B.C. government has relaxed several of the tough COVID-19 rules that residents have been living under – and laid out a rough timeline for returning to a "more normal life" over the coming months.
Under the provincial restart plan unveiled Tuesday, British Columbians are welcome to meet a few friends at a restaurant and dine indoors, host a small number of visitors inside their home, and travel for recreational purposes within their own designated travel zone.
Those and other loosened rules are effective immediately, officials said.
And if the province can meet certain vaccination thresholds while keeping COVID-19 case numbers low, the government is hopeful that many more restrictions can be eased throughout the summer.
That could mean a "return to usual" for indoor and outdoor personal gatherings, a reopening of nightclubs and casinos, and recreational travel across B.C. and Canada at various points from June through September.
"We have made tremendous strides with our vaccination program, and we are now in a position where we can move forward with a plan to slowly bring us back together," Premier John Horgan said in a statement.
"As we have done throughout this pandemic, we will be closely following the guidance of public health and supporting people and businesses as we take the next steps in putting this pandemic behind us."
The province's restart plan is separated into four steps, and provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry stressed that only the first one – which begins Tuesday – is set in stone. While the government provided estimates for when the other three might take effect, Henry said officials will be looking at "data, not dates."
B.C. residents can once again dine indoors at bars and restaurants in parties of up to six people, and those groups do not need to come from the same household. Establishments must continue to follow their existing WorkSafeBC safety plans, and stop serving liquor at 10 p.m.
British Columbians can also host small dinner parties and similar get-togethers indoors at home, but only with a maximum of five visitors or one household. The existing group limit of 10 people for socializing outdoors remains in place.
Officials are also now allowing organized outdoor gatherings – such as weddings – of up to 50 people, provided that they are seated and there's a safety plan in place.
While the travel restriction barring B.C. residents from moving between the government's three designated travel zones for non-essential reasons remains in place, officials said residents are free to travel recreationally within their own zone.