COVID19 Restrictions Affecting Gyms, Bars, Nightclubs Will Be Extended, But No End Date Mentioned

Victoria – JANUARY 17, 2022 UPDATE – There are concerns that no government release has followed the Provincial decision to extended gathering restrictions as Omicron tears through the health care system in BC and beyond.

The catch is that there was no end date mentioned. It is expected that the PHO will have more information at Tuesday’s briefing.

The provincial health officer’s orders on gatherings and events and food- and liquor-serving premises, have been extended, including restrictions on gyms and fitness centres.

The original restrictions in December were to end just after midnight January 18.

There is a public document that was quietly posted to the BC Government the BC Centre for Disease Control websites on January 17, 2022 and that is here.

More to come.

And this is what the government’s website says. The order expiring at 11:59pm on Tuesday. The actual order no longer has a date. #bcpoli pic.twitter.com/QsPhqgI5Ef

— Richard Zussman (@richardzussman) January 17, 2022

This is a pretty disappointing way for the government to communicate with British Columbians. There is no news release, media availability, nothing to answer the many questions the new orders raise . . . no notice, post the orders and we read about it on twitter . . . https://t.co/pCKNNovoUY

— Shirley Bond 🇨🇦 (@shirleybond) January 17, 2022

DECEMBER 21, 2021 ORIGINAL STORY – Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry noted that Omicron is on a “rapid take off” and overtaken Delta as the variant swamping the masses in BC.

There are new #COVID19 Restrictions Affecting Gyms, Bars, Nightclubs and more. This comes at the same day as the NHL and NHLPA pulled out of the February Beijing Olympics due to COVID.

The provincial health officer is implementing additional measures to address rising COVID-19 case counts that could result in increased hospitalizations and critical care admissions and the potential to overstress the health-care system.

Revised provincial health officer orders will take effect on Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2021, at 11:59 p.m.

The restrictions will extend to Jan. 18, 2022, at 11:59 p.m., and include:

• no organized indoor social events and gatherings of any size;
• concerts, sports games and theatres reduced to 50% seated capacity, regardless of venue size;
• closing gyms, fitness centres and dance studios;
• closing bars and nightclubs; and
• limiting table sizes at restaurants, cafes and pubs to a maximum of six people per table with physical distancing or barriers.

These restrictions are in addition to the revised orders that took effect on Monday, Dec. 20. 

The Ministry of Health is postponing non-urgent scheduled surgeries starting Jan. 4, 2022, to manage pressure on acute care facilities. Urgent and emergency surgeries will continue, and rescheduling will be determined through continuous monitoring of capacity and COVID-19 impacts throughout January and on a regional basis.

Dr. Henry’s Media Conference is below: