B.C. Premier John Horgan, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix, will present a province-wide plan on Wednesday regarding pandemic preparedness for the fall.
The presentation will take place at 1:15 p.m. PT and will be available on CHEK’s Facebook page and YouTube channel.
Live at 1:15 p.m. PDT Sep. 9: Premier John Horgan, Adrian Dix, Minister of Health, and Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.'s provincial health officer, announce the province's fall pandemic preparedness plan.
Posted by CHEK News on Tuesday, September 8, 2020
The announcement comes one day before students in Kindergarten through to Grade 12 return to classrooms across British Columbia – a topic that continues to trigger various levels of concern among parents and teachers amid the ongoing pandemic.
Teachers and faculty were the first to return to schools on September 8 and, although several educators posted messages on social media that the first day went decently, there are still some concerns over class sizes, old ventilation systems and remote learning options, according to the BC Teachers’ Federation.
Education Minister Rob Fleming has said districts are expecting 85 to 90 per cent of students to attend school in person, but some parents and students also say they’re frustrated by the lack of remote learning options and large class sizes as well as inconsistent messaging about physical distancing.
Wednesday’s announcement also comes a day after Dr. Henry and Health Minister Dix revealed new regulations, effective immediately, for bars, restaurants, nightclubs and banquet halls.
During a routine press conference on Tuesday afternoon, Dr. Henry stated that all nightclubs and stand-alone banquet halls have been ordered closed by the province.
Henry said she’s ordering the closures after recent spikes in cases linked to exposures at these types of venues – venues that have become a “major source” of transmission in recent weeks.
“We want to do the least amount we can by order, and make sure we can support people to do the right things they need to do for their own individual situation,” she said.
As for bars, pubs and restaurants, they can still remain open, however, new regulations are being implemented to alter current services.
According to Dr. Henry, alcohol can no longer be served after 10 p.m. and those establishments must be closed at 11 p.m. unless providing a full meal service. Under these circumstances, liquor can’t be served until 11 a.m. the following day.
The province is also requiring music or other background sounds, such as from televisions in bars, lounges, pubs and restaurants, must be no louder than the volume of normal conversation.
The new regulations come on the heels of the September long weekend, where British Columbia saw 429 new cases of COVID-19.
The messaging that is currently being pushed by B.C. health officials is for residents to ease up on social interactions, limiting personal bubbles to five or six people.
British Columbia is currently in Phase III of its COVID-19 Restart Plan.
There will be a new post following Premier John Horgan’s announcement.
Graham Cox
