Don’t toss your BC Vaccine Card just yet.
Today, provincial health officials extended the proof of vaccination program to June 30th.
It was set to expire Monday, January 31st, but Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry now says the requirement will stay in place until summer.
“If we are in a better place before June 30th, however, we will look to make adjustments earlier,” Henry said.
“The BC Vaccine Card program is specifically designed to address and mitigate those risks that allow us to keep certain businesses and activities open during the pandemic.”
When attending an event or eating at a restaurant, those 12 and up must have their BC Vaccine Card and photo identification ready to be checked and scanned.
It’s a requirement that’s been in place since September of last year.
Meanwhile, Henry also announced that some changes will be on the way to the world of kids sports.
As of February 1st, children’s sports tournaments will be allowed to take place across the province, with current safety restrictions still in place.
She added that the reinstatement of tournaments did only apply to youth, and adult tournaments would not be included in the newly lifted restriction.
In today’s daily COVID-19 update, the province reported 1,446 new cases in BC, with 163 of those in the Island Health region.
Provincewide, while community infections are trending downwards, Henry finds hospitalization rates remain high.
In fact, she said it’s the highest it has been since the pandemic began, prompting a significant strain on BC’s healthcare system.
