BC’s COVID-19 Restart Plan Released

The provincial government has announced the COVID-19 Re-Opening Plan that will guide the removal of public health restrictions over the coming weeks as vaccination rates increase in BC.

The Restart Plan will have four steps between May 25 to September 7.    Read the summary below and the full details here. 

For the current list of restrictions in place currently, click here

Step 1 – May 25

  •  Masks
    • Masks (not face shields) remain mandatory in all public indoor spaces
  • Private Social Gatherings
    • Having up to 5 people from outside your household inside your home is now allowed 
  • Events
    • Outdoors – Seated events allowed with up to 50 attendees
    • Indoors –  Seated events allowed with up to 10 attendees
  • Indoor Dining
    • Indoor dining is allowed again with similar restrictions as were in place prior to March 30
      • No more than 6 people in a party (but those can be from different households now)
      • No moving between tables
  • Sports
    • Outdoor team sports for all ages is allowed
    • Indoor team sports are still prohibited
    • No travel for tournaments or games
    • No spectators are allowed
  • Recreational Travel
    • Travel for recreation or leisure is allowed within your own region
      • Regions include:
        • Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley (Fraser Health and Vancouver Coastal Health)
        • Northern/Interior (Northern Health and Interior Health, including Bella Coola Valley, the Central Coast and Hope)
          • Residents from the Hope area can travel to Chilliwack for essential goods and supplies
          • Residents from the Bella Coola Valley and Central Coast area can travel to Port Hardy for essential goods and supplies
        • Vancouver Island (Vancouver Island Health)
  • Indoor Fitness
    • Indoor high intensity group exercise is still prohibited
    • Indoor low intensity group exercise is allowed, such as yoga or tai chi

The future steps in the Restart Plan will be implemented on the below target dates, given sufficient vaccination uptake and declining case counts.

Step 2 –  June 15

Changes in this step include the following:

  •  Masks
    • Masks (not face shields) will remain mandatory in public indoor spaces
  • Recreational Travel
    • Travel for recreation or leisure is allowed right across the province
  • Private Social Gatherings
    • Outdoor personal gatherings up to 50 people (birthday parties, backyard BBQs, block parties) will be allowed
  • Events
    • Indoors –  Seated events will be allowed with up to 50 attendees
  • Indoor Dining
    • Liquor service hours will be extended
    • Banquet halls will be able to reopen in a limited capacity
  • Sports
    • Indoor team sports will then be allowed with no spectators
    • Up to 50 spectators will be allowed for outdoor events
  • Fitness
    • Indoor high intensity group exercise allowed with reduced capacity

Step 3 – Expected July 1

In addition to the above, changes expected in this step include the following:

  •  Masks
    • Masks will be recommended but not mandatory
  • Offices
    • Continued return to in-person work with new amended safety plans
  • Recreational Travel
    • Canada-wide recreational travel expected
  • Private Social Gatherings
    • No restrictions on personal social gatherings
  • Events
    • Allowed capacity will be increased for both indoor and outdoor events
    • Fairs and festivals will be allowed
  • Gaming
    • Casinos and bingo halls will be able to open
  • Indoor Dining
    • No restrictions on restaurants and bars
  • Fitness
    • All indoor group fitness allowed with regular capacity
  • Sports
    • Limited indoor spectators will be allowed

Step 4 – Expected September 7

In addition to the above, changes expected in this step include the following:

  •  Masks
    • Masks will be a personal choice
  • Offices
    • Workplaces fully opened to in-person work
  • Events
    • Increased capacity to allow for larger events such as concerts
  • Sports
    • Increased spectators will be allowed for both indoor and outdoor sports
    • Tournaments and competitions will be phased back in