In a live press conference today, BC Health Officials announced the implementation of the BC Vaccine Card.
This new platform will provide BC residents proof of vaccination which will be required to enter various businesses and participate in events starting next month, including indoor ticketed sports events, indoor and patio dining, fitness centers and more.
As of September 13th, entry to these facilities and events will require anyone 12+ to have received at least one dose.
As of October 24th, entry will require those 12+ to be fully vaccinated, at least 7 days after receiving both doses.
Due to the influx of COVID-19 Delta variants outbreaks and increased hospitalization, BC Health Officials also noted that it is not likely the province will be moving into Step 4 of BC’s restart plan come September.
Step 4 in the restart plan, with an earliest implementation date of September 7th, is a return to normal for BC residents.
The criteria for moving to Step 4 is more than 70% of the 18+ population vaccinated with dose 1, along with low case counts and low COVID-19 hospitalizations.
Although the province has met vaccination goals, current case count and hospitalizations are cause for concern when considering moving forward.
According to Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry, 90% of active cases in the province are amongst unvaccinated residents. Unvaccinated British Columbians also make up 93% of hospitalizations in the province.
Henry also noted that the risk of contracting COVID-19 is 10x higher if you have not received a vaccine.
As of this publication, 83.2% of eligible people 12 and older in BC have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine and 74.9% have received their second dose. To date, 7,336,798 doses have been administered in the province.
