BC Is Dropping More COVID-19 Restrictions & Here's When Things Will Get Back To Normal

B.C. is lifting mask mandates with almost immediate effect and removing the requirement for people to show proof of vaccination in indoor settings next month.

Adrian Dix, minister of health, and Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.'s provincial health officer, provided the highly-anticipated update and announced that the first phase of rules being lifted comes into effect on Friday, March 11 at 12:01 a.m.

Mask mandates have been in effect across the province since the summer of 2021, while proof-of-vaccination has been mandatory in many settings since September.

B.C. was the last province in Canada to announce its plans on lifting COVID-19 restrictions.

March 11

Effective March 11 at 12:01 a.m., B.C. is removing its face covering order, which means that people (vaccinated or not vaccinated) will no longer be required to wear a mask or face covering in indoor public spaces and indoor events.

The province will also restore the long-term care visitation policies it had prior to additional measures being put in place in response to Omicron starting March 18.

Overnight youth camps will also be able to go ahead and capacity limits for faith gatherings will be scrapped.

April 8

The BC Vaccine Card will no longer be required from April 8.

Previously, bars and restaurants, along with most indoor events and large gatherings, required proof-of-vaccination for entry. As of April 8, this will no longer be the case.

What happens after that?

The province did issue a word of warning for later this year.

In its presentation, health officials said that "ongoing surveillance" will happen in the fall months of 2022 to "inform prevention and control."