Restaurants, bars "don't need to wait" to know big Super Bowl crowds not allowed: Horgan

After BC’s Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said on Monday no one should be planning any sort of Super Bowl party this weekend, Premier John Horgan echoed her sentiments on Tuesday.

“The guidance is that you shouldn’t be having Super Bowl celebrations this weekend,” he said during a press conference. “The public health orders are pretty clear on that.”

Asked if those in the bar/restaurant industry should anticipate shutdown orders similar to what was seen on New Year’s Eve, Horgan didn’t respond directly but said the general guidance should come as no surprise to the sector.

“This is something that we’ve been working on as a province and a community for months and months,” he said. “We encourage people to enjoy the football game in their home, with their bubble [and] not congregate in large numbers. The industry knows that. And I’m hopeful that British Columbians will follow suit.”

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Horgan’s comments come after Henry said on Monday that no one – “whether it’s at home, in a bar, a restaurant” – should be planning a Super Bowl viewing party.

“I am calling on everybody right now, hold off on the Super Bowl celebrations this year,” she said.

BC Health Minister Adrian Dix also advised against such celebrations.

“This is the year to watch the Super Bowl game with people living in your household and only those people,” he said.

Current province-wide restrictions are in effect until Friday, and an update on the restrictions is expected at that time.

On Monday, Henry said a total of 1,158 new test-positive COVID-19 cases had been confirmed in BC over the weekend, bringing the total number of recorded cases in BC to 67,937.

There were 408 cases reported from Friday to Saturday, 473 from Saturday to Sunday, and 277 from Sunday to Monday. Over the weekend, 21 deaths were also reported, for a total of 1,210 deaths in the province.

There are currently 4,134 active cases of COVID-19 in BC, with 7,242 people under active public health monitoring as a result of identified exposure to known cases.

Currently, 289 individuals are hospitalized with COVID-19, 79 of whom are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.