Indoor dining reopens for up to 6 people on May 25, reaching no capacity limits by July 1. (Cole Burston/The Canadian Press)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

RESTART

B.C.’s restart begins immediately, most restrictions loosened by Canada Day

May 25, 2021 | 1:02 PM

NANAIMO — British Columbia’s restart course is banking on a methodic approach to have life returning to normal as soon as possible.

The plan, unveiled by Premier John Horgan and provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry on Tuesday, May 25, hinges on rising vaccination rates and dropping COVID-19 cases.

“The light we’ve talked about for weeks and weeks is now at hand,” Premier Horgan said. “Today we lift restrictions put in place for the circuit breaker and look towards mid-June to reduce further restrictions.”

Step one begins immediately with five visitors or one household now allowed for indoor personal gatherings and 10 permitted for outdoor gatherings.

Larger capacities of 10 (indoor) and 50 (outdoor) are also allowed for more formal events with safety protocols in place.

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Indoor dining and outdoor sports with no fans in attendance can resume under certain restrictions, while the ban remains on non-essential travel outside of a health authority.

By June 15 at the earliest, the province plans to move into a second phase which would see a maximum of 50 people for outdoor social gatherings and 50 people for formal events indoors such as at banquet halls and movie theatres.

Provincial travel restrictions would also expire, opening up recreational travel across B.C., while up to 50 people would be able to attend outdoor sporting events.

The province has outlined its restart plan, a course to get B.C. back to normal by September 2021. (BC Government)

Canada Day is the third major milestone outlined in the plan, with the goal of having 70 per cent of the adult population vaccinated with at least a single dose.

At that stage, the province would lift the provincial state of emergency in place since March 2020 and return to normal for indoor and outdoor personal gatherings. Nightclubs and casinos would be allowed to re-open with capacity limits, as well as formal events.

The province also expects recreational travel across Canada to open in step three. New instructions about the use of masks in public are expected in step three.

A final step four, coinciding with a return to school in September, would see no capacity limits for indoor or outdoor sporting events and a return to normal social contact.

Public health would also increase capacity at larger events and help businesses operate under new, updated safety plans with fewer restrictions.

Horgan said the restart plan is based on science and accurately reflects how devastating the pandemic has been in B.C.

“This is a disease which has taken over 1,600 lives and disrupted all of us for 15 months. It won’t disappear tomorrow…but this restart plan is appropriate for where we are as a province in our battle against COVID-19.”

The province reported 289 new cases of COVID-19 across B.C. on Tuesday, unchanged from the day before, with 3,782 active cases.

There are currently 301 people in hospital, a jump of nine from the day before. Three less people are receiving intensive care at 93.

In Island Health, 30 new cases were found over the May long weekend and Tuesday.

The central Vancouver Island area saw the largest increase in Island Health, with numbers rising by 14, compared to 11 in southern Vancouver Island and five in the north.

The number of active cases in Island Health dropped to 36.

There is a data discrepancy between Island Health and the province, based on the timing of COVID-19 results. NanaimoNewsNOW reports local verified data from Island Health.

Island Health is expected to exceed 5,000 total COVID-19 cases tomorrow or the day after.

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