Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry set a March 24, 2022 deadline for those health professionals still waiting to get their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. (Government of B.C.)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

NEXT STEPS

Changes to B.C. COVID-19 restrictions due next week as current slate of orders set to expire

Feb 9, 2022 | 5:13 PM

NANAIMO — The province is eyeing the next major landmark in its COVID-19 response, coming Feb. 16.

It marks the expiry date for a number of health restrictions and provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said they will announce the province’s next steps at that time.

“What you will hear next week will be the details on how we are going to be moving forward. You will hear less about the pandemic as we get through this wave and more about how we continue to manage personal risks as restrictions are adjusted in step with what we are seeing in terms of transmission and hospitalizations.”

Henry said they will also be modifying their COVID-19 surveillance reports, adjusting the important things they need to monitor.

Active cases and the number of people who have been removed from isolation are no longer accurate in determining where we are in the pandemic, according to Henry.

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The data is set to be removed from their daily surveillance reports on the BC CDC website.

She said the change is affected by their testing strategy which is now focused on those people who need a test because it affects their health management or because it’s important for them to return to work.

Henry also announced a date for regulated health care professionals in B.C. to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

Those workers have until March 24 to receive at least their first dose of the vaccine in order to continue working in their occupation in this province.

“It’s ensuring they have a consistently supported standard across health care so that all regulated health professionals are held to the same standard.”

It follows similar guidelines given to hospital and long-term care workers in October 2021.

Henry said there is also a process in place for people with medical exemptions, and the various health colleges will work with those individuals in order to help accommodate them.

Those who receive one dose before that date may continue to work as long as they receive a second dose 28 to 35 days after their first one.

Final orders will be in place next week once the government speaks with the colleges of health care professionals, whom they have been in consultation with since the orders were first put in place.

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