After months of severe COVID-19 restrictions limiting social gatherings in B.C., the province's top doctor announced Thursday that the rules are relaxing slightly.
Dr. Bonnie Henry made the announcement during a COVID-19 modelling update, where she reflected on the past year of the pandemic in the province. Henry said even though daily case counts have increased slightly in recent days, hospitalizations and deaths are decreasing.
"Indoor environments, we know, is the riskiest part," Henry said, adding that much of the transmission happening province-wide is still at indoor, social gatherings. Transmission in workplaces has also been a concern, Henry said.
Under the updated restrictions, which were announced just two days before spring break begins for most B.C. schools, small outdoor gatherings are permitted, but with no more than 10 people.
Henry said those 10 people must remain the same and that gatherings have to be outside, adding "smaller is better."
But in spite of these relaxed rules, Henry also announced Thursday that temporary measures will be in place to curb transmission St. Patrick's Day festivities. Those include stopping liquor sales as of 8 p.m. on March 17 until 9 a.m. on March 18. Henry said there will be some caveats around full meal provision, similar to the rules introduced around New Year's Eve.
On Monday, Henry said the resumption of sports and certain religious events could also happen in the coming weeks. Though she did not provide a firm timeline then or on Thursday, she'd previously suggested people could be sitting in pews for Easter.
569 new cases of COVID-19 and 3 related deaths were recorded in British columbia.
26 of the new cases are in the Interior Health Region.
Outbreaks declared over:
Update on outbreaks:
- With files from CTV -