Thought of the Day - February 21 2022 - BC Sends Mixed Message on COVID Measures

Restrictions on the size of indoor gatherings, put in place before Christmas in response to Omicron, expired last Wednesday. In addition, a number of restrictions for indoor and outdoor gatherings have been relaxed. Bars and nightclubs are allowed to reopen and events can operate at 100 percent capacity. Dancing is allowed at organized gatherings and mingling can resume at restaurants. Wedding and funeral receptions will once again be allowed in B.C., this has had an impact on a wide range of businesses, from rental companies to florists to hotels.

Following the ensuing celebration, press reports were mixed over the weekend their headlines reading:

• Vancouver Sun: Wild night in Vancouver amid relaxed COVID-19 restrictions leads to stabbing, arrest

• CTV: First weekend of eased COVID-19 restrictions in B.C. busy for nightlife venues, police

• CBC: After public health guidelines were relaxed, Friday night saw clubs and dance studios filled with people

• Global: Downtown Vancouver businesses see light at end of tunnel as COVID-19 restrictions lift

At this point, the province will not be making any changes to the B.C. vaccine card program and masks will be required at organized events and gatherings. While the term of the vaccine passport was to end back in January, due to the Omicron wave this was extended to the end of June 2022. Unlike a number of other provinces, it looks like another review will not take place in BC until the end of March at the earliest.

These announcements somewhat overshadowed the news that B.C. also expanded its healthcare vaccine mandate to include doctors, dentists and other regulated professionals. Again, like the Trucker debacle, the timing is a bit of a surprise; I guess now that potential pandemic pressure on medical services is declining the province can afford to clean house of these undesirables. That said, if such legislation is required because a significant enough cross-section of doctors and other medical professionals are not getting vaccinated, no wonder the public is torn on the issue. Don't you think if a cross-section of engineers and construction professionals concluded a bridge was not safe to cross despite regulatory approvals, it might make you consider a different route for future trips?

Cheers

Cliff