You’ll still be able to enjoy a night of karaoke or trivia at a bar or a nightclub despite some new restrictions from B.C.’s provincial health officer as the province’s COVID-19 case count creeps upwards
Dr. Bonnie Henry says patrons will need to remain in their designated seat, with no self-service of alcohol or dance floors allowed. Owners have to also take steps to reduce lineups and choke points in their establishments.
“Changes in the requirements for events have also been made to further reduce the potential of transmission in these higher risk environments,” she said. “Keeping the bars and the pubs and all of the things that we are enjoying open but safe [is important] but we need to do our part by not trying to bend those rules.”
The announcement came as Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix announced 34 new cases of the virus, bringing B.C’s total number of cases to 3,362 of which 21 are epi-linked.
“We are putting in some things to make it a calmer environment to keep those separations, as well limiting the hours for events to 11 o’clock and then the event must be over, recognizing that its later into the night when people have had a few drinks that they are more likely to bend the rules,” Henry added.
“We can all have fun and a safe summer despite COVID-19. We are not going to go back to things we had to do earlier this year. But in order to keep going forward, we need to go back to safe social interactions. We need to play safe and stay safe.”
She reiterated statements from earlier noting that keeping bars and restaurants open will give people an outlet for social interaction, but Henry said its imperative that people keep having safe contacts with people in their bubble. She previously noted that shutting down these establishments will only lead to things going underground.
Henry also called on restaurant patrons not to try and skirt the rules for dine-in service, including a maximum group size of six people. She’s also reminding people they’re not allowed to move between tables.
Asked if B.C. reopened its economy too soon, Henry said no, noting with people able to travel, its not surprising to see an uptick in cases. The concern, Dix and Henry noted is with people not following the rules like they had been earlier in the year.
