B.C. provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry speaks during a COVID-19 update news conference, in Vancouver, on Tuesday, February 1, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
February 17, 2022 - 4:44 PM
VICTORIA - British Columbia's top doctor has updated her public health orders as more employees return to their workplaces with COVID-19 infections dropping.
The Health Ministry says provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry has updated her workplace safety order, removing a requirement that employees be allowed to work from home, if possible, unless employers had an operational need for them on site.
It says all workplaces must still have COVID-19 safety plans in place and masks are still required in certain settings.
Hospitalizations in the province also continue a downward trend at 744 people in hospital Thursday, a slight drop from 762 the day before, while 120 people are in intensive care.
B.C. has recorded five more deaths linked to COVID-19 for a total of 2,781 fatalities.
There have been three new outbreaks in health-care facilities for a total of 32, two of them in hospitals and the rest in long-term care homes.
Just over 93 per cent of B.C. residents aged 12 and older have had their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, while 53.6 per cent have received a third dose.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 17, 2022.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2022