BC Health Officials have implemented new social distancing measures across the province (listed below) and have extended the rules put in the Lower Mainland on November 9th by another two weeks.
One of the new orders put in place is that masks are now mandatory for all customers and employees in all indoor public and retail spaces (except when eating/drinking in restaurants).
The province’s total case count has reached a total of 24,960 with 6,929 active after 538 more people tested positive for the virus.
Northern Health’s total is now 563 with 74 active after the region saw 11 new cases.
The North’s recovery rate is now 86%, meanwhile, 20 people are battling the virus in hospital in the region, 12 of whom are in ICU.
217 people are battling the virus in the hospital, 29 of whom are in ICU.
One more person has died in BC, a man in his 30’s, the provincial death toll has reached 321.
There are 9,929 people under active public health monitoring and 17,217 people have recovered from the virus.
BC’s recovery rate remains at 69%.
6 new Health care outbreaks have been identified, there are now 59 active outbreaks in the Health Care system.
A community outbreak in Kitimat has also been confirmed.
“We’ve been watching very carefully at the impact on the lower mainland orders and looking at our daily numbers,” explained Dr.Bonnie Henry, “and we have not seen a dramatic decrease and we have seen an increase in our health care system.”
Henry explained that the province is seeing more cases contracted from businesses such as car dealerships and grocery stores, despite expecting more cases would be coming from restaurants and salons.
Vancouver Coastal: 7,257 (+178)
Fraser Health: 15,449 (+309)
Island Health: 429 (+12)
Interior Health: 1,172 (+28)
Northern Health: 563 (+11)
NEW ORDERS PROVINCE WIDE FOR NEXT TWO WEEKS:
-Only socialize with those in your immediate household and delay inviting friends and family over for social visits
-Masks are now mandatory for customers and employees in all indoor public and retail spaces (except when eating/drinking in restaurants)
-All community-based social gatherings/events are suspended, including those with less than 50 people in controlled settings (including places of worship), however, time-limited events such as Baptisms, weddings and funerals with less than ten people in attendance are allowed. In addition, this rule does not apply to business and support-group meetings (AA meetings, NA meetings, Childcare settings, after-school programs)
-Suspending non-essential (recreational and social travel) province-wide
-Urging employers to support employees working from home whenever possible
-Suspending indoor high-intensity interval group training including hot yoga and indoor group spin classes
-Maintaining Phase 3 of the Sport plan but with no spectators for indoor or outdoor sports
ORDERS PREVIOUSLY IMPLEMENTED ON VANCOUVER COASTAL AND FRASER HEALTH AUTHORITY:
– No social gatherings with anyone outside your household (funerals and weddings may proceed with people in your immediate household)
TRAVEL:
-Only essential travel is recommended to and from the region.
-Travel for sports into and out of the region is suspended
GROUP PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES:
-Businesses and Recreation Centre’s (Spin classes, yoga classes, group fitness, dance classes etc) need to be approved by a local medical health officer
-All sports where physical distancing cannot be sustained will be suspended (does not apply to physical activities that are a school-based program)
-No Indoor competitions or games
-Reduced spectators are still being advised (Indoor and Outdoor)
WORKPLACE SAFETY: (Businesses can be shut down if found to not be adhering to new guidelines)
-All workplaces/worksites must conduct active, in-person screening according to COVID-Safety plans for their workers currently on-site
-Workplaces must ensure that all customers and workers maintain appropriate physical distancing (especially vigilant in small officers and break rooms and kitchens)
-Actively supporting working from home if possible
-Public Health Care Inspections will be increasing in businesses
-Perimeter (Party buses, limousines) seating vehicles are ordered to shut down immediately