Restrictions in healthcare setting to be lifted

VICTORIA — Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.’s provincial health officer, and Adrian Dix, Minister of Health, have provided an update on the respiratory illness season in B.C.

Dr. Henry said that British Columbians have understood the need to put and keep in place measures to protect our communities and health-care system and that was particularly important as B.C. weathered the respiratory season over this past fall and winter with the combined effects of COVID-19 and influenza, as well as other viruses like RSV.

Henry now says that B.C. has seen a decrease in all respiratory viruses, which allows the province to move forward with confidence in removing some of the measures that were in place like removing mandatory universal mask wearing in healthcare settings. The province has also said that “visitor restrictions in long-term care, assisted living, and health-care facilities have been lifted. This includes the requirement for proof of vaccination to enter long-term care, assisted living, and health-care facilities, which is no longer in effect. Rapid antigen testing in long-term care is no longer required.”