Victoria – As previously announced, the provincial health officer order on gatherings and events is being updated to remove the prohibition on individual or group fitness, exercise and dance exercise, allowing these to happen with the safety requirements in place. This change took effect on Jan. 20, 2022.
The order will also allow sports tournaments for children and youth as of Feb. 1, 2022. Adult sports tournaments remain prohibited.
In addition, the order will change the proof of vaccination requirement for 12-year-olds to only require one dose of vaccine for entry to an event or setting where proof of vaccination is required.
It has been reported to public health that 11-year-olds who have had one dose of pediatric vaccine and are able to enter these settings are then blocked from entry when they turn 12 because they only have one dose of vaccine and have not had time to get a second dose. This change is aimed at fairness for this age group, while they are waiting for the recommended time to receive their second dose.
This is not setting well with BC School Sports. From their memo dated January 28:
“We were expecting an update from the Ministry of Education after they reviewed the updates to the Provincial Health Officer orders, allowing
sporting tournaments for kids and youth to begin on Feb 1, 2022.
We were in contact many times this week providing critical information on the importance of these events, and the tight timelines due upcoming zone and provincial events. We communicated that having to adapt zone events would have a significant impact on the direct financial costs for kids and their families, the costs to schools, the impact on school time missed, or events that may not even happen at all. We expressed our concern about the immense cost that our student-athletes have felt already over the past 24 months.
Unfortunately, the Ministry of Education, has made the decision to keep the Addendum of K-12 Guidelines in place without changes, meaning that all school sports tournaments are still prohibited from taking place. Any event, single-day, or multi-day event with more than 2 teams participating cannot take place at this time. Single games may still occur, in accordance with the previous guidance provided.
We are stunned by this decision, as there was commitment made this year to ensuring club and community sport access remained equal to school sport, and to have this decision made at such a critical time of year is disheartening for everyone involved in school sport and continues to threaten and erode at the long-term health and sustainability of school sport.
The Ministry has indicated this will be reviewed on a week-by-week basis, but with no firm indication of when the K-12 Guidelines may be altered to align with the orders as put in place by the Provincial Health Officer.
We will continue to advocate strongly for the return of school sport tournaments and share in the frustration undoubtedly felt by student-athletes, coaches, parents, and supporters across the province. At this time, we are not cancelling provincial events, and continue to plan for these events, as well as variable contingencies that may be required. We will update the membership as soon as more information becomes available.”
