Shifting to Step 3 of BC Restart Plan: Resources for Tourism Businesses
With British Columbians achieving nearly 80% adult Dose 1 vaccine coverage and COVID-19 case counts continuing to decline, the Province is safely moving to Step 3 of its four-step restart plan on July 1, 2021.
Moving to Step 3 will signal the end of the provincial state of emergency in BC’s history. BC’s public health emergency will remain in effect during Step 3, with reduced requirements.
Moving from Step 2 to Step 3 includes:
return to normal for indoor and outdoor personal gatherings;
maximum capacity for indoor organized gatherings of 50 people or up to 50% of a venue’s total capacity, whichever is greater;
maximum capacity for outdoor organized gatherings of 5,000 people or up to 50% of a venue’s total capacity, whichever is greater;
return to normal for fairs, festivals and trade shows, with communicable disease plans;
return to Canada-wide recreational travel;
reopening of casinos, with reduced capacity and ~50% of gaming stations permitted to open;
reopening of nightclubs, with up to 10 people seated at tables, no socializing between tables and no dancing;
return to normal hours for liquor service at restaurants, bars and pubs with table limits to be determined by venue and no socializing between tables;
return to normal for sports and exercise facilities, with communicable disease plans; and
mask wearing recommended in indoor public spaces for all people 12 and older who are not yet fully vaccinated.
Tourism Sector Restart Step 3 Toolkit
The Province of BC, TIABC, ITBC, and DBC have prepared an updated version of the BC Restart Toolkit for tourism operators, with messaging to encourage British Columbians and Canadians to #exploreBCnow.
This toolkit is designed as a guide for operators for Step 3, which starts July 1 and will run until at least September 7.
The toolkit includes:
Summary of current guidelines
Links to help operators with recruiting and training staff
Information on topics such as the evolution of mask use from a requirement to
recommendations, and changes to capacity restrictions for events and festivalsInformation on the marketing campaigns to help restart the visitor economy, and how to participate
WorkSafeBC Communicable Disease Plans
During Step 3, businesses will gradually transition from COVID-19 Safety Plans to Communicable Disease Plans, with guidelines provided by WorkSafeBC.
These plans will continue to include physical barriers at many business and retail settings. Capacity limits, formal health screening tests and directional arrows, as well as other physical distancing measures will no longer be required. However, they may still be used during this transition period.
View Communicable Disease Prevention Guide for Employers
go2HR Webinar: Workplace Safety in Step 3
go2HR is hosting webinar on Monday, July 5 at 2 PM featuring expert panelists Mark Lysyshyn, Deputy Chief Medical Health Officer at Vancouver Coastal Health and Lisa Houle, Manager, OHS Consultation and Education Services at WorkSafeBC. Learn how to implement a communicable disease program for Step 3 of BC's Restart plan and get your questions answered.
Webinar topics include:
How to build an effective communicable disease program for step 3 of the BC Restart
How to relax existing controls for workers and customers
When you can (or should) enforce the wearing of masks and other controls in the workplace
Key considerations around occupancy levels, including for events and meetings
The practicalities of a gradual transition out of your COVID-19 safety plan and how to communicate changes to workers and customers
The forecast: fall flu season and the potential impacts of variants of concern
Travel Manners
The provincial health officer has laid out travel manners and guidelines for everyone travelling within BC, including:
Planning ahead and being respectful while visiting communities, especially smaller and rural towns, as well as Indigenous communities
respecting local travel advisories.
getting vaccinated
pre-trip planning and research before arriving at destination
respecting any local travel advisories to isolated and remote communities and Indigenous communities
following mask guidelines
respecting personal space and practicing good hygiene, including frequent handwashing
no travelling for anyone who is sick, and if symptoms develop while travelling – self isolate immediately and contact 811 for guidance and testing
BC Government Resources
Under the COVID-19 Related Measures Act, police and other enforcement officials will continue to be able to issue tickets for anyone who is contravening the Gatherings and Events or Food and Liquor Premises public health orders, which will remain in place. This includes fines for people who are being abusive or belligerent about the requirements of public health orders.
To view the June 29, BC Restart Plan Step 3 presentation, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/RestartBC_Step3.pdf
To learn more about BC’s Restart – a four-step plan to bring BC back together, visit: https://www.gov.bc.ca/restartbc
To learn about BC’s current travel restrictions, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/covidtravel
To learn about current PHO restrictions, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/COVIDrestrictions
To view the June 28, 2021, modelling presentation, visit: http://news.gov.bc.ca/files/6-28_PHO_presentation.pdf
