The BC Government has announced it is extending temporary measures that have been put in place amid COVID-19 in regards to expanded service areas at restaurants and the sale and delivery of liquor.
In a press release issued on Friday, the government says the extensions will apply to the recently built patios and outdoor spaces as well as the sale and delivery of unopened liquor products with the purchase of a meal by food- and-liquor-primary licensees.
Back in May, the Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch (LCRB) began permitting food-primary, liquor-primary and manufacturer licensees, such as wineries, breweries and distilleries, to apply for a Temporary Expanded Service Area (TESA) authorization through an expedited, no fee, online process.
According to the government, all TESA authorizations were scheduled to expire on Oct. 31, 2020. The Province is making amendments, however, to allow for the extension of these authorizations.
The extension will be for an additional year, lasting until Oct. 31, 2021.
The intention of the LCRB is to extend all current TESA authorizations, however, the branch needs to receive approval from local governments that there is support for the extensions in each jurisdiction.
“All licensees with current TESA authorizations and whose local governments support extension will be reissued authorization letters, automatically extending the expiry date of their authorizations, before Oct. 31, 2020,” reads a statement from the government.
The government adds that new applications for expanded service areas will still be considered up until Oct. 31, 2021, barring approval from local governments.
According to the Province, 1,073 TESA authorizations have been approved in communities throughout the province as of Sept. 11, 2020.
Along with the extension of the TESA, the government has announced that it will be extending the temporary sale and delivery of sealed alcohol products by food-primary and liquor-primary licensees.
This temporary authorization was also set to expire on Oct. 31, 2020, but has been extended until March 31, 2021.
The government hopes that by extending these temporary measures that it provides “businesses with relief from the financial hardship of the pandemic, while making it easier for vulnerable British Columbians to continue observing the orders of the provincial health officer.”
Both of the extensions came after consultation with the Business and Technical Advisory Panel, a group of liquor and hospitality industry representatives, as well as following the input of several local governments, licensees and members of the public.
Graham Cox
