Dr. Bonnie Henry announces new restrictions to flatten the Omicron curve
B.C. Office of the Provincial Health Officer orders venues with more than 1,000 seats, including theatres, to limit capacity to 50 percent
Dr. Bonnie Henry.
THE REALITY OF the Omicron variant of the novel coronavirus set in during the latest briefing from the B.C. Provincial Health Officer.
“It is moving quickly, and so must we,” Dr. Bonnie Henry said at a December 17 province-wide address.
“If we see a rapid increase in cases, a certain proportion of those people will need hospital care,” she said. “We see the trajectory in other countries around the world and we’re not going to be an exception. We will see rapidly rising cases over the next few weeks, and we need additional measures so we don’t overwhelm the hospital system.”
The new public health measures, which will come into effect at 11:59 pm on December 19 and remain in place until January 31, 2022, include:
Venues holding more than 1,000 people limited to 50-percent capacity.
B.C. vaccine cards are required for events of all sizes, including those involving fewer than 50 people, and scanning of QR codes must be done in all cases.
Indoor personal gatherings limited to household members plus 10 guests or one additional household — as long as everyone is vaccinated. Those who are not vaccinated are prohibited from holding personal gatherings.
Organized New Year's Eve events of all sizes must be cancelled, though restaurants can continue to operate at capacity as long as diners remain at their tables and wear masks when not seated.
Sports tournaments and associated travel are suspended.
The reason for the new measures is that Omicron, which is expected to soon become the dominant variant in B.C. and elsewhere, spreads much faster than the Delta variant. “It can spread with even a smaller amount of virus,” Henry said.
Some arts organizations had previously opted to keep their capacity limits below 100-percent to provide audiences with a sense of comfort, though the orders are leading to pivots anew in some cases. Consider Vancouver Symphony Orchestra’s response to today’s announcement:
“The VSO and VSO School of Music remain fully committed to the health and safety of our audiences, musicians, donors, sponsors and staff,” VSO CEO and president Angela Elster said in a release. “We were thrilled to return to live concerts this fall, however when public health regulations allowed for full capacity, the VSO maintained capacity limits of 60% for the well-being of our audiences. Following Dr. Henry's announcement this afternoon, we will adjust this to 50% capacity for our Winter/Spring 2022 season, to align with public health orders and maintain the safe and comfortable atmosphere in our venues. We are all in this together.”
Bryan Adams Tweeted that his New Year’s Eve concert at Rogers Arena has been cancelled in accordance with the new orders.
Henry emphasized that the best protection remains to be vaccinated, which will not only reduce the risk of individuals getting ill but will also help ensure the health-care system does not collapse.
“If you are not yet vaccinated, you are at risk,” she said.
Henry has said health officials are seeing a spike in cases largely among younger people who are becoming infected at informal gatherings. The surge in cases has been especially dramatic in densely populated areas such as Vancouver Coastal Health and on Vancouver Island.
People experiencing anxiety or depression are encouraged to seek support, with Henry pointing to 811 as a free resource.
Stir will continue to monitor the situation and will update accordingly.
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