Province continues to remove COVID measures, with Proof of Vaccination requirement to end Friday

The need to provide your
BC Vaccination card
will be reduced as of this 
Friday as the use of the
card is scaled back 

The Province of British Columbia moved forward with it's progress in managing COVID-19 announcing the removal of a number of previous COVID measures today, with Doctor Bonnie Henry and Health Minster Adrian Dix hoisin an afternoon information session to chart the next steps in the provincial COVID program.

Among the most prominent of measures to be removed is the need to show a BC Vaccines Card of proof of vaccination to access even ts, services and businesses, that requirement comes to an and as of Friday. 

There is one addendum to that change however, that is if individual businesses and organizations wish to continue to require the Vaccine card for entry to their premises they are welcome to do so. 

Also set to come to an end are two other Orders one related  to Workplace Safety and Post Secondary housing.

The remainder of the Workplace Safety Order will expire, which means that businesses are transitioning back to communicable disease plans to reduce risk of all communicable disease. 

The requirement for students residing in residence to be fully vaccinated under the Post-secondary Institution Housing COVID-19 Preventative Measures Order will be repealed.

Also of note however, is that the Federal requirement for proof of vaccination remains, particularly for those who travel by air or any other federally regulated travel or requirement.

As Doctor Henry explains it, the easing of restrictions comes as part of the ongoing review of data by the provincial health office and BC Centre for Disease Control which has been tracking the path of COVID through the pandemic.

"With this level of community immunity that we have now,  we are in this position where we continue to make progress in removing some of the measures that are no longer necessary all the time.  

One of those is the BC Vaccine card which was very effective at supporting people to get vaccinated but also during this highest risk period being able to have these measures in place  in those highest risk settings.   

So It is no longe required by order, so no longer a legal order But we do know that many businesses are looking at their own clientele ... and some will continue to require this"

The main element of confidence in removing the measures comes from the vaccination program in the province which as see 93.8 percent of all eligible adults in the province receive their first dose, 91.5% receive their second dose, to date 59.5 percent of British Columbians have received a third dose.

The last percentage is a result the province would like to improve on, with Health Minister Adrian Dix speaking to that as part of today's announcement.

“Thanks to the many British Columbians who have stayed up to date on their COVID-19 vaccines, we are seeing high levels of immunity and protection in our communities Boosters are an important part of continuing to protect those who are most at risk as restrictions continue to be lifted, and I encourage everyone to make time in their day to get a booster dose.”

The province also outlined how a spring booster program will move forward, making a fourth shot of either the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine for eligible seniors, Indigenous residents over 55 years of age or older and those who are considered Clinically Extremely Vulnerable.

Details on that element are included as part of the announcement that was issued today.

In the short term, the Public Health Officer is anticipating a rise in reported cases of COVID, but observed to the growing level of immunity that is building in the province and how British Columbians need to learn how to live with COVID.

"Over this course of the pandemic, particularly in the last month with the Omicron wave that we've had. We now have a very high level of people in our population across the board that have antibodies ... that tells us that there's a level of protection, not perfect because we don't have a marker about how much of the antibody that you need. 

But it does tell us that vaccination and some subsequent infection in some people, means that we have a high level of potential immunity in our community right now, that is different from any other phase that we've been through in this pandemic.

When we take that into account and we look at the things that are happening right now with increasing activity, with people travelling more with the slightly more transmissibility variant that we're seeing cause infections.  

We know that we are likely to see a slight increase over time in the next month to two months and then a gradual decreasing again if we continue to do the things that we are doing and particular to make sure that we are keeping up to date with our vaccinations"

The Province is also expanding the roll out of their rapid antigen tests, with more than 40 million tests having been distributed free of charge through pharmacies and other providers.

The flow of information is about to be more spread out as well, with the provincial reports now to be weekly updates, rather than the daily updates that have been in place since the COVID virus first arrived in the province. 

The full conference with the Minister and Doctor Henry, along with a volume of questions from the media can be reviewed below:

More notes on the provincial approach in response to COVID can be reviewed through our archive page.

You can review the comment and coverage of COVID relates issues in the province through our political blog D'Arcy McGee an our Victoria Viewpoints  feature.