BRITISH COLUMBIAStarting Dec. 20 and lasting until the end of January, all indoor personal gatherings are restricted to 10 guests or one additional household, and only if everyone aged 12 and up is fully vaccinated. There are no restrictions for outdoor personal gatherings.
All organized events require use of the BC Vaccine Card and scanning of QR codes. Indoor organized gatherings can include up to 1,000 people or 50 per cent capacity, whichever is greater, with masking enforced. Spectators must be seated at concerts and other performances, weddings, lectures, presentations, workshops and sponsored and ticketed parties.
Organized outdoor events are limited to 5,000 people or 50 per cent capacity, whichever is greater.
Customers must remain seated and cannot move between or visit other tables at bars and restaurants.
New Year’s Eve parties aren’t allowed, and organized events are restricted to seating-only events with no mingling or dancing allowed.
Sports tournaments are also being suspended during this time.
As of Dec. 17, private indoor gatherings are limited to 10 people aged 18 and up, with no limits on the number of children if they are accompanied by a parent or guardian. If children attend a gathering by themselves, they count toward the limit of 10 people. The restriction does not apply to mutual support groups or workers who need to access your home to provide caregiving support or home repairs and maintenance.
Outdoor private gatherings are limited to 20 people with two metres of physical distancing between members of different households at all times.
Further restrictions related to other types of gatherings, recreation facilities, bars and restaurants as well as retail settings can be found on the province’s website.
The province’s current public health order, which has been extended to the end of January, requires masking in all indoor public spaces, as in, any enclosed place other than a private home or dwelling. Proof-of-vaccination or negative-test requirements are in place to access establishments, businesses and event venues that bring groups of people together.
Starting Dec. 21 and lasting until Jan. 11, private indoor gatherings are limited to 10 guests if everyone is fully vaccinated. If there are any unvaccinated people, the limit is five guests. Children under the age of 12 are excluded from these rules.
Bars, restaurants, gyms, movie theatres, libraries and museums will be limited to 50 per cent capacity and require proof of vaccination, with the exception of libraries. Bars and restaurants will have seated service only with a maximum of 10 people per table.
Faith-based gatherings that require proof of vaccination will be limited to 50 per cent capacity. Those that do not require vaccination will be limited to 25 per cent or 25 people, whichever is lower.
Large indoor events will be dropped to 50 per cent capacity and require proof of vaccination. Sports tournaments, indoors and outdoors, will be suspended. Games and practices will be allowed with spectator capacity reduced to 50 per cent.
Starting Dec. 19, private social gatherings are limited to 10 people indoors and 25 people outdoors.
Capacity limits for many indoor public settings, including bars, restaurants, retailers and shopping malls, will also be reduced to 50 per cent. The limit doesn’t apply to weddings or funerals, as well as religious services, rites or ceremonies.
Bars, restaurants and strip clubs will be required to close at 11 p.m., with the exception of take-out and delivery service. Patrons must remain seated with a maximum of 10 people per table. Dancing will not be allowed except for workers or performers. The sale of alcohol will be restricted after 10 p.m.
Food and drink services will be prohibited at sporting events and large venues, including theatres and cinemas.
A maximum of 10 allowed to gather inside private homes. Outdoors, on private property, a maximum of 20 people or occupants from three households are allowed to gather.
Starting Dec. 20 at 5 p.m., all bars, casinos, cinemas, gyms and performance venues will be shut down. Restaurants can only open at 50 per cent capacity between 5 a.m. and 10 p.m., however, delivery and drive-thru orders may occur outside these hours. Sporting events, including professional ones, will be conducted with no spectators. Schools will be closed until Jan. 10, with any classes scheduled before then to be taken remotely.
Additional, interim measures are being added to the province’s Level 1 measures starting Dec. 18. They include limiting household contacts to a maximum of 20 people. Physical distancing is required at businesses, stores, gyms, salons and spas. Dining in restaurants is still permitted, but there must be two metres between each table and proof of vaccination is required. Entertainment centres, including professional sporting venues, cinemas and casinos, are limited to 50 per cent capacity with physical distancing of two metres.
Informal social gatherings, indoors and outdoors, are limited to household members and social groups of up to 20 people with no social distancing or masking necessary.
Formal gatherings, weddings, funerals and faith-based gatherings hosted by a business or organization are limited to 50 per cent capacity up to 150 people indoors and 250 people outdoors with social-distancing and mask requirements. Funerals hosted by a business or organization can have up to 25 people plus the person conducting the ceremony and staff without proof-of-vaccination requirements, but masks are still necessary and receptions as well as visitations aren’t permitted.
Starting Dec. 17 until Jan. 8, additional restrictions come into effect. Among these are personal gatherings of households, plus 10 people maximum, with the 10 people being kept consistent.
Restaurants, gyms, stores and event venues are limited to 50 per cent capacity and physical distancing is a requirement. Dancing and karaoke are prohibited.
Faith-based gatherings must include physical distancing and are limited to 100 people indoors and 200 outdoors. Group and team-based organized recreational activities, including sports games and practices, are suspended.
As of Dec. 20, the communities of Badger, Gander, Grand Falls-Windsor and Twillingate are subject to measures under the province’s Alert Level 3. The remainder of the province can operate at Alert Level 2. Details of the restrictions under these alert levels can be found on the province’s website.
The territory recommends holiday gatherings of up to 10 people from no more than two households.
Organized indoor gatherings, including conferences, weddings, funerals and arts and sports events, are limited to 50 per cent capacity with proof of vaccination required. Bars, restaurants and nightclubs have a limit of six people per table, with proof of vaccination required, and no counter service, moving between tables or dancing permitted. Gyms and fitness studios are also operating at 50 per cent capacity with proof of vaccination required for those aged 19 and up.
Faith-based and cultural gatherings are limited to 50 per cent indoor capacity but proof of vaccination is not required under these circumstances.
Masks are mandatory in all indoor public settings, schools, vehicles with people from different households and outdoor public settings where physical distancing isn’t possible.
Up to 25 people can gather in households if everyone, except children under the age of 12, is fully vaccinated. The number falls to 10 people if not everyone is fully vaccinated.
At indoor non-household gatherings, up to 25 people are permitted with physical distancing between members of different groups. Outdoors, up to 50 people can gather with physical distancing required between members of different groups.
As of Dec. 16, indoor gatherings in a home are limited to household members plus 15 people. Indoor gatherings at non-dwellings are limited to 15 people, but for the purposes of group counselling that limit is increased to 20 people. Indoor gatherings at halls, conference spaces and places of worship are limited to 100 people or 75 per cent capacity, whichever is lower. There are no capacity restrictions on outdoor public and social gatherings.
Bars and restaurants are limited to 75 per cent capacity. Gyms, libraries, museums and galleries can accept 25 people or 50 per cent capacity, whichever is lower.
To learn more and for assistance preparing and implementing a sound COVID 19 response plan and policies appropriate for your workplace, contact your RMG Consultant, or any member of the RMG team at info@ravengropup.ca. We’ll respond promptly.