B.C.’s top doctor will be issuing a new public health order to ensure that people who rent houses, house boats, and other vacation rentals limit the number of guests inside at any given time.

Dr. Bonnie Henry says the order will be in effect right across the province, and not just restricted to places like the Kelowna-area where there has been a spike in cases in recent weeks.

“We know that this is not just an issue in the Okanagan, this is an issue that has affected vacation and rental places across B.C.,” she said Thursday. “This will be another step in ensuring that we have those provisions in place that reduce the numbers of people who are gathering and the risk to all of us when this virus is transmitted.”

Henry says the limits on the number of people will depend on the size of the property in question, noting officials are still working on the final details.

“It will be restrictions on the numbers of people based on the size of the houseboat or the boat or the room, but also restrictions on visitors,” Henry said. “The exact numbers we’re still working out, and we’ve reached out to make sure that we can do it in a way that is manageable.”

The idea, she says, is to ensure that gatherings are kept small to reduce the risk of the virus spreading even further, as the number of active cases has grown steadily in the recent weeks.

“As with most of our orders, the onus falls on the owner-operators to ensure that the restrictions are being followed, and we can support that with local bylaw enforcement and public health enforcement as well,” Henry added. We are working out the specifics, and it will be available within the next day.”

She made the announcement while reporting another 30 new cases of the virus today, including 11 new cases across the Interior Health Authority.