Over 90% of British Columbians are vaccinated, which means we can officially dance in clubs again! With our masks on!
The BC Health Authority has announced that the majority of COVID-19 restrictions will be lifted on February 17th. The return to normal only applies to those who are fully vaccinated, and willing to wear a mask.
Thanks to over 90% of British Columbians who have made BC one of the most vaccinated jurisdictions in the world, several restrictions will be lifted starting February 17. BC Vaccine Card, mask requirements and COVID-19 Safety Plans will all remain in place. pic.twitter.com/sWER46wQF7
— BC Government News (@BCGovNews) February 15, 2022
Other Canadian provinces plan to eliminate vaccine passports, but B.C. remains stringent on the matter.
This announcement may come as a surprise to British Columbians, as the rolling average remains at around 900 cases per day in B.C.
However, daily cases are slowly dropping, compared to the 3,000 cases that we were reporting in early January. I’m still cautiously optimistic about moving into this new phase of the pandemic.
It’s hard not to speculate whether the announcement to lift restrictions was due to the ongoing pressures on the provincial and federal government from the truck convoy.
Is the Omicron surge over? Or are the political tensions in Canada not worth upholding restrictions and mandates?
Nevertheless, I assume there will still be British Columbians upset that you will continue to require a vaccine passport for the time being.
In a press conference, Health Minister Adrian Dix spoke on B.C.’s plan to maintain vaccine card restrictions.
“The B.C. vaccine card is a key piece of keeping people safe. That is the approach we have taken in British Columbia based on the evidence we see in B.C. and the effectiveness of that,”
The B.C. vaccine card will be reviewed in March and again in April, but until further notice you need to be vaccinated to take a workout class or eat at a restaurant.
For those who aren’t comfortable with mRNA vaccines, Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said two new vaccines, that are more traditional subunit vaccines, will be arriving in B.C. shortly.
This will hopefully lead to higher vaccination rates and continual ease of restrictions as we head into the warmer months.