Update on COVID-19 Provincial Orders – January 8

As you may have seen, the BC Provincial Health Officer announced an extension on the current COVID-19 province-wide restrictions until February 5, 2021.

The Orders in effect include:

  • No social gatherings of any size with anyone other than your household or, if you live alone, your core bubble.
    • For people who live alone, a core bubble is a maximum of two people you see regularly. You must not host gatherings.
    • For those who parent from separate households or rely on a family member or close friends for support with things like picking up children after school or delivering essential items like mail, medication or groceries, these activities can continue.
    • Do not invite friends or extended family to your household, do not host gathering outdoors, and do not have playdates for children.
  • All non-essential travel should be avoided. This includes travel into and out of BC and between regions of the province.
    • Do not travel for a vacation.
    • Do not travel to visit friends or family outside of your household or core bubble.
    • This does not include regular travel to campus for work or learning. For example, travelling from Surrey to Burnaby is acceptable if it’s for work and part of your Department’s Safety Plan.
  • Masks are required for everyone in all public indoor settings and all retail stores. Masks are required in all workplaces including common areas of post-secondary institutions and areas where physical distancing cannot be maintained.
    • One re-usable mask is available at no cost to all faculty, staff, and students. Departments and schools are asked to email PPE@bcit.ca on behalf of staff and faculty to arrange distribution of masks. Students on campus who would like a mask can visit the Safety, Security, and Emergency Management Office (SSEM) on their campus. In addition, disposable masks are available to many staff and students on campus as part of program-specific Safety Plans.

The Provincial Health Officer’s Orders are available here.

While these restrictions may present challenges to many within our community, it is important to ensure we all do our part to keep each other safe.

  • Please do not come to campus if you are feeling unwell. Attending work with even mild symptoms can threaten the safety of our community. You must also complete a wellness check using the BC COVID-19 Self-Assessment Tool prior to arriving on campus each day. All managers are to continue to connect with their teams and departments to confirm that a wellness check has been completed prior to employees entering the workplace.
  • Wash your hands frequently, continue to physical distance, and strictly follow your department’s Safety Plan.
  • Download our Safety Wise app for convenient access to campus safety information and updates, as well as the Self-Assessment Tool, found in the “Safety Toolbox” section.

Thank you for doing your part to keep yourself and each other safe.

Be safe and well,

Glen Magel
Director, Safety, Security and Emergency Management

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