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BC’s Restart Plan | COVID-19 Update

General Angela Calla 30 Jun

Published by the Tri-Cities Chamber of Commerce 2021

The Government of British Columbia has just announced BC’s Restart Plan and outlined the road the recovery.

BC’s Restart – a four-step plan to bring BC back together will be a slow and gradual return to a more normal life, with safety and health protocols such as mask-wearing and physical distancing remaining in place and mandatory during the initial two steps of the plan.

The step-by-step plan will follow approximate timelines and will ease people and businesses slowly out of the pandemic.

Scroll down to find information on the following:

An overview of the four steps can be found below:

Click here to open image.

See the BC Government website for full details.

 

Step 1 – May 25, 2021

Step 1 begins on May 25, 2021, with at least 60% of the adult population having received Dose 1, along with stable COVID-19 case counts and COVID-19 hospitalizations.

PHO guidance under Step 1 is as follows:

  • Physical distancing and masks continue to be required in public indoor settings.
  • If you or anyone in your family feels sick stay home and get tested immediately.

Under Step 1, the following restrictions will be in place:

  • Personal Gatherings
    • Maximum of five visitors or one household allowed for indoor personal gatherings.
    • Maximum of 10 people for outdoor personal gatherings.
  • Outdoor Gatherings
    • Maximum of 10 people for seated indoor organized gatherings with safety protocols.
    • Maximum of 50 people for seated outdoor organized gatherings with safety protocols.
  • Travel
    • Recreational travel only within travel region (travel restrictions extended).
    • Non-essential travel between regions continues to be restricted.
  • Business
    • Indoor and outdoor dining for up to six people with safety protocols (not restricted to your household or bubble).
    • Liquor served until 10PM.
  • Offices and Workplaces
    • Start gradual return to workplaces.
    • Employers must continue to have a COVID-19 Safety Plan and daily health check in place.
  • Sports and Exercise
    • Indoor low-intensity group exercise allowed with limited capacity.
    • Outdoor games and practices for both adults and youth group/team sports allowed.
    • No spectators at any indoor or outdoor sports activities.

Step 2 – June 15, 2021 

Step 2 will begin when 65% or more of the adult population has received Dose 1, cases continue to decline, and COVID-19 hospitalizations are declining.

The earliest date for Step 2 is expected to be June 15, 2021.

PHO guidance under Step 2 is as follows:

  • Physical distancing and masks continue to be required in public indoor settings
    If you or anyone in your family feels sick stay home and get tested immediately.

Under Step 2, the following restrictions will be in place:

  • Personal Gatherings
    • Outdoor personal gatherings up to 50 people (birthday parties, backyard BBQs, block parties).
    • Playdates.
  • Organized Gatherings
    • Indoor seated organized gatherings of up to 50 people with a COVID-19 Safety Plan.
  • Travel
    • Provincial travel restrictions lifted.
    • Recreational travel within BC allowed.
    • BC Transit and BC Ferries offers increased service as needed.
  • Business
    • Liquor served until midnight.
    • Banquet halls can operate with limited capacity and a COVID-19 Safety Plan
  • Offices and Workplaces
    • Continued return to the workplace.
    • Small, in-person meetings allowed
  • Sports and Exercise
    • Indoor high-intensity group exercise allowed with reduced capacity.
    • Indoor games and practices for both adults and youth group/team sports allowed.
    • No spectators at any indoor sports activities.
    • Outdoor spectators up to 50 allowed.

Consultation begins in Step 2 for the next steps regarding:

  • Indoor and outdoor organized gatherings
  • Easing restrictions for businesses

Step 3 – July 1, 2021

Step 3 will begin when 70% or more of the adult population has received Dose 1, cases are low, and COVID-19 hospitalizations are declining.

With British Columbians achieving nearly 80% adult Dose 1 vaccine coverage and COVID-19 case counts continuing to decline, the Province is safely moving to Step 3 of its four-step restart plan on July 1, 2021.

Moving to Step 3 will also signal the end to the longest provincial state of emergency in BC’s history, which will be lifted on June 30 at 11:59PM.

PHO guidance under Step 3 is as follows:

  • Increased social contact
    If you or anyone in your family feels sick stay home and get tested immediately

Mask guidance under Step 3 is as follows:

  • Masks are recommended in public indoor settings for all people 12 and older who are not yet fully vaccinated
    • Those who receive the vaccine are fully vaccinated 14 days after Dose 2
    • Some people may choose to continue to wear a mask after they’re fully vaccinated and that’s okay
  • The mask mandate order under the Emergency Program Act will be lifted on July 1, and no proof of vaccination will be needed

As BC moves from Step 2 to Step 3, here are some of the new things that you can do:

  • Personal Gatherings
    • Return to usual for indoor and outdoor personal gatherings
    • Sleepovers
  • Organized Gatherings
    • Indoor organized gatherings 50 people or 50% capacity, whichever is greater
    • Outdoor organized gatherings 5,000 people or 50% capacity, whichever is greater
    • No capacity limits or restrictions on religious gatherings and worship services
    • Fairs, festivals and trade shows return to normal with a Communicable Disease Plan
  • Travel
    • Canada-wide recreational travel.
  • Business
    • Restaurants and Bars:
      • No group limits for indoor and outdoor dining, events allowed
      • Return to normal liquor service hours
      • No socializing between tables
    • Nightclubs:
      • Up to 10 people seated at tables, tables 2 m apart
      • No dancing, no socializing between tables
    • Casinos:
      • Reduced capacity
      • Gaming stations can operate at approximately 50% capacity
  • Offices and Workplaces
    • Continued return to the workplace
    • Seminars and bigger meetings allowed
    • Additional safety precautions required in higher-risk workplaces
  • Sports and Exercise
    • All indoor fitness classes allowed, normal capacity
    • Gyms and recreation facilities, normal capacity
    • Outdoor spectators 5,000 people or 50% capacity, whichever is greater
    • Indoor spectators 50 people or 50% capacity, whichever is greater

During Step 3, businesses, offices, and workplaces will gradually transition from a COVID-19 Safety Plan to a new Communicable Disease Plan, with guidelines for these plans released by WorkSafeBC. These guidelines were developed in consultation with public health and businesses will continue to be supported by WorkSafeBC and the PHO as they transition.

View the Communicational Disease Prevention Plan Guidelines released by WorkSafeBC here.

These plans will continue to include physical barriers in many business and retail settings. Capacity limits, formal health screening tests and directional arrows, as well as other physical distancing measures, will no longer be required. However, they may still be used during this transition period.

Step 4 – Early September (Earliest Date: September 7)

Step 4 will begin when more than 70% of the adult population has received Dose 1, cases are low and stable (contained clusters), and COVID-19 hospitalizations are low.

The earliest date for Step 4 is expected to be September 7, 2021.

PHO guidance under Step 4 is as follows:

  • Masks in public indoor settings a personal choice
  • Normal social contact
  • If you or anyone in your family feels sick stay home and get tested immediately.

Under Step 4, the following restrictions will be in place:

  • Personal Gatherings
    • Return to normal personal gatherings and social contact.
  • Organized Gatherings
    • Increased capacity at large organized gatherings, like a concert.
  • Travel
    • Canada-wide recreational travel.
  • Business
    • Businesses will continue to operate based on the new COVID-19 safety guidelines and their updated COVID-19 Safety Plan.
  • Offices and Workplaces
    • Workplaces fully reopened.
  • Sports and Exercise
    • Return to normal sports competitions with an updated COVID-19 Safety Plan in place.
    • Increased outdoor and indoor spectators.

Angela Calla is a 17-year award-winning woman of influence which sets her apart from the rest. She is without a doubt, a true expert in her field. Alongside her team, Angela passionately assists mortgage holders in acquiring the best possible mortgage. Through her presence on “The Mortgage Show” and through her best-selling book “The Mortgage Code“, Angela educates prospective home buyers by providing vital information on mortgages. 

In August of 2020, at the young age of 37, Angela surpassed $1 Billion dollars in funded personal mortgages. In light of this, her success awarded her with the 2020Business Leader of the Year Award.

Angela is a frequent go-to source for media and publishers across the country. For media interviews, speaking inquiries, or personal mortgage assistance, please contact Angela at hello@countoncalla.ca or at 604-802-3983.

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