As expected, B.C. is moving to Step 2 of its COVID-19 restart plan tomorrow, June 15.

That means, among other things, inter-provincial travel restrictions will be lifted clearing the way for recreational travel within the province.

However, the out-of-province non-essential travel advisory remains in place, with Premier John Horgan asking people to stay away from the province for the immediate future.

“Thanks to our collective efforts and commitment to get vaccinated, we are ready to take another step forward in our careful restart,” Horgan said. “This next step means seeing more of the people we love, visiting more of our favourite places and safely celebrating the major milestones we’ve missed.”

“Better days are in sight, but we must continue to do our part, get vaccinated, keep our layers of protection strong and work together to put this pandemic behind us.”

Outdoor personal gatherings of up to 50 people will also be allowed and kids will also be able to have playdates. Indoor organized gatherings – like movie theatres – can also go ahead with up to 50 people as long as they have a COVID safety plan in place.

Indoor faith gatherings will also be able to take place as well with a maximum of 50 people or 10 per cent capacity for larger venues.

Restaurants and bars will also be able to serve liquor until midnight instead of the current 10 p.m.. Banquet halls will be able to operate with up to 50 people and a COVID-19 safety plan in place.

High-intensity group exercise will be allowed with reduced capacity. Indoor sports and practices for both adults and youth teams will also be allowed without spectators. Outdoor sporting events will be able to host up to 50 people.

Businesses and workplaces can also start to bring people back to the workplace and small, in-person meetings will be allowed.

Masks will still be required in all indoor public settings, along with physical distancing and frequent washing and sanitizing of hands. Indoor private gatherings at home is still limited to five people until July 1 at the earliest.

The criteria for moving to Step 2 was at least 65 per cent of the adult population being vaccinated with one dose of a COVID vaccine, along with declining case counts and COVID-19 hospitalizations. As of this Friday, more than 75 per cent of adults in the province B.C. have gotten a first dose.

On Friday, British Columbia also reported 180 new cases of COVID-19 and one additional death as hospitalization numbers continued to trend down.

“I am confident that we are on track to safely and confidently bridge to Step 2, and am amending the relevant provincial health officer’s orders so we can do just that,” Provincial Health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, said. “The data shows us that with strong safety plans in place and all of us continuing to use our layers of protection, we can now increase our much-needed social connections a little bit more.”

“Whether it is travelling to visit family in B.C., having a small wedding or watching your child’s soccer game, these are the things we have all missed.”

Last week, Dr. Henry said COVID-19 could be nearly entirely wiped out by September if vaccine uptake continues to be high and people limit their contacts to 70 per cent of normal.

The earliest B.C. could move to Step 3 is July 3, while the earliest we could reach Step 4 is September 7.

For a higher resolution photo of the COVID-19 Restart Plan graphic, click here.