Here's BC's plan to bring back personal and organized gatherings

The BC government presented its plan on Tuesday to restart the province, following an extended “circuit breaker” and policies that have been in place since last year.

Among the details offered up during an afternoon press conference, officials said gatherings of both personal and organized nature will slowly begin to return to normal starting this week.

According to the province, the updated policy for gatherings will include the following:

• Maximum of five visitors or one household allowed for indoor personal gatherings
• Maximum of 10 people for outdoor personal gatherings
• Maximum of 10 people for seated indoor organized gatherings with safety
• Maximum of 50 people for seated outdoor organized gatherings with safety

This will be followed in mid-June by a further easing of restrictions around gatherings, which will include:

• Maximum of 50 people for outdoor social gatherings
• Maximum of 50 people for seated indoor organized gatherings (banquet halls,
  movie theatres, live theatre) with safety protocols
• Consultation process to prepare for larger indoor and outdoor gatherings with
  safety protocols

By the beginning of July, the province says there will be:

• A return to “usual” for indoor and outdoor personal gatherings
• Increased capacity for indoor and outdoor organized gatherings, with safety plans
• Nightclubs and casinos reopened with capacity limits and safety plans

Finally, by early September, officials said there will be:

• A full return to “normal” social contact
• Increased capacity at larger organized gatherings
• No limits on indoor and outdoor spectators at sporting events

For Step 1 and Step 2, the province said that restaurants, bars and pubs, as well as indoor fitness facilities, are to return to the existing safety protocols that were in place prior to the circuit breaker restrictions.

For other sectors, existing safety protocols remain in place for Step 1 and Step 2, including existing safety protocols at schools and daycares. In Step 1, hotels and other accommodation providers are encouraged to welcome guests from inside their region.

In Step 2, the invitation can be extended to guests from throughout the province.

Prior to steps 3 and 4, sector associations will work with public health and WorkSafeBC to update sector guidelines to meet updated public health guidance.

All updated workplace safety plans should be ready by July 1 prior to shifting into Step 3, the province said. These plans will be based on updated sector guidelines.