UPDATE – The Kamloops Blazers are waiting to see if they will be allowed to increase capacity at the Sandman Centre to 100 per cent starting next week.
That is despite Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry’s announcement Tuesday that capacity limits for indoor events and gatherings like sporting events, concerts, movie theatres, dance and symphony events, as well for wedding receptions and conferences will be lifted on Oct. 25, as long as COVID-19 vaccine cards are checked.
The exceptions, she said, were in areas of the province where there are targeted public health orders in place like parts of the Fraser Valley (Chilliwack and Abbotsford), parts of Northern Health, and as it turns out all communities within Interior Health.
“Some of that is supporting areas of the province where immunizations rates are still not high enough to stop that rapid transmission to people and we are seeing high rates of hospitalization still,” Henry said. “So yes, we are watching that carefully and we hope to be able to take off more restrictions are we get through the next few months.”
All British Columbians over the age of 12 will have to be fully vaccinated as of Oct. 24 to go to indoor ticketed sporting events or shows, to eat at restaurants, to use fitness centres or casinos or to be a part of indoor organized events like conferences and weddings.
“It doesn’t reduce the risk to zero. It means that we are mitigating the risk,” Henry added. “We know that the risk of people who are fully vaccinated transmitting the virus and getting sick is much much less so that reduces the risk enough that we are confident that we can, when we get to that point, have more people in those environments.”
“We’re hoping to leverage the benefits of the vaccine card and this is an important first step of that.”
Interior Health brought in its restrictions back on August 20 because of increasing COVID-19 cases. Those restrictions were set to be eased at the end of September though NL News has learned that a decision has not yet been made by the health authority.
Last month however, some restrictions in Interior Health were eased slightly to allow organized indoor events like Blazers games to have 50 per cent of capacity at Sandman Centre instead of just 50 spectators.
Oct. 25 is also the date when the requirement that prevented people from moving around inside a bar or a restaurant anywhere in B.C. will be lifted, though the indoor mask mandate will stay in place, irrespective of the capacity limit.
“I am confident this will be a measure that will not increase risk and we will monitor it over time,” Henry said.
In an email, Interior Health told NL News it expects to have more to say on the status of restrictions this Friday, Oct. 22.
Editors note: A previous version of the story suggested the Blazers would be able to increase capacity to 100 per cent after Oct. 25 which is not the case because of Interior Health restrictions. The inconvenience is regretted.
In essence it seems the decision was made to appease the Canucks and the lower mainland teams. The rest of the province, will have to wait. https://t.co/BkNzp9yqIb
— Jon Keen (@JonKeenNLSports) October 19, 2021
The PHO “It was always our intention to get back to 100% capacity with the Vaccine Passport.”
@Interior_Health? Not so fast.
Dr. Henry talked about regional restrictions possible in Northern and Fraser Health… made no mention of IH. Here we go again. #Kamloops— Jon Keen (@JonKeenNLSports) October 19, 2021