Dr. Bonnie Henry Sept. 8, 2020.

Image Credit: FACEBOOK/BC Government

In response to B.C.'s rising COVID-19 caseload, the province's top doctor cracked down on public gatherings and issued an order to close nightclubs and banquet halls.

“Effective today, all nightclubs and all standalone banquet halls are ordered closed until further notice,” provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said after announcing there were 429 new cases from Friday to today, Monday, Sept. 8.

That raises the total number of cases in B.C. to 6,591.

“In addition, liquor sales in all bars, pubs and restaurants must cease at 10 p.m. and these venues must close at 11 p.m, unless they're providing full meal service, in which case the meal service can continue and not serve alcohol.”

Further provisions will be put in place to make it easier for people to avoid speaking loudly or have close contact.

That means music or other background sounds, such as from televisions in bars, lounges, pubs and restaurants, must be no louder than the volume of normal conversation.

“As we know, issuing orders is not something that we do lightly,” Dr. Henry said. “It is our last resort, and we have spent quite a lot of time working with industry, within the banquet halls and the nightclubs, to try and put in measures that will protect people from this virus.”

Now, however, is the time to do what needs to be done to protect our communities from people spreading COVID-19 inadvertently, bringing it into their homes or bringing it into their workplaces.

“As our cases are climbing, as we are starting to move into the important parts of our community that we need to support moving into respiratory season in the fall, we need to make some changes to reduce the risks of these environments,” she said. “We know that most restaurants, in particular, have been doing a very good job of keeping things under control.”

Dr. Henry said for the most part people are doing the right thing.

These new restrictions are meant to take away that late night temptation for people to go where transmission is happening.

So far there have been 2,249 cases in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, 3,428 in the Fraser Health region, 184 people in the Vancouver Island Health region, 460 people in the Interior Health region, 186 people in the Northern Health region, and 84 people who normally reside outside of Canada.

There are now 1,386 active cases in all health authorities in the province and 32 of those cases are hospitalized. There are currently 12 people in critical care ICU with COVID-19.

There were also two additional deaths and 3,063 people under active public health monitoring.

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