By Canadian Press

COVID-19 restrictions on closures, gatherings to remain in place in B.C.

Jan 17, 2022 | 4:41 PM

VICTORIA — British Columbia’s top doctor has extended a COVID-19 order that will keep gyms and fitness centres closed before providing more details tomorrow.

That’s when restrictions were set to expire, but Dr. Bonnie Henry said last week that they believed COVID-19 hospitalizations were expected to spike after cases within the community had peaked. 

Restrictions on gatherings and events will stay in place, and Henry has now also directed school boards to collect information on the vaccination status of their staff.

The BC Teachers’ Federation says on Twitter that it was not consulted or notified ahead of time about the order. 

The union says that is confusing because it has already agreed with the B.C. Public School Employers Association on a vaccine mandate process and would like school districts to implement them.

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Henry’s orders on restrictions do not have an expiry date and they cite stress on the overburdened health-care system as it tries to accommodate unvaccinated people and the increased risk to the public due to the Omicron variant. 

The Delta School District ordered last week that all its staff show proof of vaccination within six weeks or they will have to undergo regular rapid testing or take an unpaid leave of absence. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 17, 2022.

The Canadian Press