BC Is Telling People To 'Rethink' Their Holiday Plans & Here's The Official Advice

B.C. officials have told people to rethink their plans for the holidays given the ongoing spread of the Omicron variant.

Earlier this month, Dr. Bonnie Henry made said that people living in B.C. should expect and plan for the worst regarding holiday gatherings.

This came after the first case of the Omicron variant was identified in the province on December 1.

In a press conference on Tuesday, Henry confirmed that there were 44 confirmed cases of the Omicron variant in B.C. up to December 12. Henry said that "there will be more cases," of the variant.

During the conference, she celebrated one year since the first COVID-19 vaccination clinic started in B.C. on December 15, 2020. With the news though, comes advice on how to celebrate another Christmas amid COVID-19.

Henry's advice first and foremost was to get vaccinated.

"We see direct correlations with the rate vaccination in communities and the rate of transmission of COVID-19," she said.

In terms of cases, Henry said that there has been a steady decrease in cases for some areas in the last couple of months.

She warned people, however, about attending large indoor holiday parties or gatherings, saying that there is still a great amount of uncertainty surrounding the variant and how it will spread.

There are no additional restrictions being put in place in B.C. as of right now, but she encouraged people to not get together with strangers or people with unknown vaccination statuses.

"Rethink those parties where you want to be together with groups of people that you may not know. That is a risky thing right now," she said.

"You need to get vaccinated to protect yourself, to protect your family, and to protect your community."

It was also announced that that rapid tests will soon be available in B.C. for free, in the new year.

Health Canada has a robust website with all the latest information on COVID-19 vaccines and can answer any questions you may have.