No relief in sight for businesses in B.C. wanting to serve liquor past 10 p.m. | iNFOnews | Thompson-Okanagan's News Source
Subscribe

Would you like to subscribe to our newsletter?

Current Conditions Clear  3.2°C

Kelowna News

No relief in sight for businesses in B.C. wanting to serve liquor past 10 p.m.

Image Credit: Shutterstock

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry refuses to back down on her order that bans bars and restaurants from serving alcohol later than 10 p.m.

She took that stand during her COVID-19 briefing today, Sept. 17, after a reporter said some businesses face bankruptcy if they can’t sell liquor later at night. She also received a letter to that effect from operators.

“We do not make these decisions lightly,” Dr. Henry said. “We put in the restrictions when it became clear that there were challenges meeting the safety requirements.

READ MORE: Nightclubs and banquet halls ordered closed as B.C. health officials report 429 new COVID-19 cases

“We were seeing, from around the province, that there becomes a time of the night when things become liquor forward and we knew that here were ongoing transmission issues and it was unsafe. We had transmission events, documented in several places around the province.”

It was becoming more difficult for health officials to keep on top of these establishments. Along with those who broke the existing rules she was also hearing from WorkSafeBC and workers that, when things got out of hand late at night, workers did not feel safe.

“Orders were done with thought and with the realization that there are places, right now, that cannot operate safely,” Dr. Henry said.

The ban on serving alcohol at nightclubs and restaurants was issued on Sept. 8.


To contact a reporter for this story, email Rob Munro or call 250-808-0143 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. 

News from © iNFOnews, 2020
iNFOnews

  • Popular penticton News
View Site in: Desktop | Mobile