The downtown Kamloops Farmers' Market.
Image Credit: Shirley Culver
May 28, 2020 - 3:47 PM
B.C.’s farmers’ markets are inching closer to having all the offerings they had before COVID-19 rolled in, with more restrictions being lifted.
“This new revision of the order removes the prohibition on selling merchandise, (which are) non-food items,” Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.’s provincial health officer said during today's, May 28, press conference.
Providing non-food items is keeping with the opening up of retail stores, she said, as is being able to provide tables where people can eat, the other restriction that’s been loosened.
“It will be small numbers, and just spaced apart,” she said.
“We know how important it is to have these community places where we can buy fresh food and where we can have access to some of the local crafts and arts.”
Although spaces are opening, Dr. Henry reminded British Columbians that these are early days in the provincial restart and the effect of loosening restrictions will start to be made clear mid-June once a couple of incubation periods have passed.
At that point, Dr. Henry will have the data that she needs to determine the timing for further changes to restrictions that are in place.
“Our slow and thoughtful approach will continue as that is our new normal,” she said.
“It's grounded in what we know about this virus today and will continue to be adopted as we learn more about this virus in the coming months. And that is how we're going to make it through this phase, through the through our summer.”
It will let us know how we will be looking heading into fall, when the “second wave” may arrive.
Overnight, nine new people tested positive for COVID-19 raising the total in B.C. to 2,558 people. One of those cases was in Interior Health, which now has 195 cases since the start of the pandemic.
As of today, 899 people in Vancouver Coastal Health region, 1,274 people in the Fraser Health region, 127 people in the Vancouver Island health region, and 63 people in the Northern Health region have been diagnosed with COVID-19.
There were two more deaths today and now there are 2,153 people who are fully recovered from COVID-19.
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