Starting today, March 11, BC will be repealing their mandate for wearing masks in public indoor areas.
The BC government will be taking progressive steps to remove restrictions starting today with the removal of their face coverings order.
“If we compare where we are compared to other jurisdictions around the country we see that we have had a lower peak and a slower peak than many other places.” said Provincial Health Officer, Bonnie Henry, in a press conference discussing COVID-19 updates for BC.
Aside from the removing mask requirements, it was also announced that there will no longer be restrictions for both social and faith gatherings, there will no longer be mask requirements as part of workplace safety orders, and COVID-19 safety plans are no longer required for Overnight youth camps.
“With the science and our data top of mind, it clearly shows that our risks now are much lower, they are not zero and we are not fully out of this yet but I feel confident that we can safely make some changes.” said Henry.
More steps to lift restrictions are going to come in the following weeks as the number of visitors in long-term care facilities will no longer be restricted on March 18 and then on April 8, requirements for the BC vaccine card will be removed.
It is important to note that although requirements for face coverings has been removed, individual businesses and organizations and employers may choose to require face coverings in their premises.
It is also encouraged but not mandatory to wear masks in public transit and BC ferries.
The Province of BC, BC Centre of Disease Control, and the Provincial Health Officer will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates in the coming weeks.
