B.C. lifting COVID-19 capacity limits on gatherings for much of province

B.C. is set to lift capacity restrictions on gatherings across much of the province Monday.

British Columbia is set to lift capacity restrictions on gatherings across much of the province Monday, though some say not everyone will be ready to party like it’s early 2020 while still wearing a mask.

Residents in swaths of the province will be allowed to attend events like hockey games, concerts and weddings without any limits on numbers, but capacity will be capped at 50 per cent in areas where vaccination rates are low, including parts of the Fraser, Northern and Interior health regions.

Attendees at all organized events in B.C. will be required to wear face coverings and show proof of COVID-19 vaccination.

The move was eagerly anticipated by businesses, including those that require bookings well in advance for events like weddings.

Harpal Sooch, owner of the Grand Taj Banquet Hall in Surrey, said he’s cautiously optimistic about an uptick in business even as most large banquets were cancelled and won’t be going ahead until next summer.

“This is my bread and butter for me and my family. Same thing for my partner, and same thing with all the banquet halls that are mostly run by families. We were closed for 15 months,” he said of the toll on his finances.

Sooch said the hall has been booked for two upcoming gatherings for Diwali — one next Saturday and another two weeks later — and he’s hoping the business will start thriving again as more people return to socializing as usual.

But Sooch said not everyone is ready for pre-pandemic-type parties while they still need to wear masks, especially seniors waiting for booster shots and families with children under 12 who can’t yet be vaccinated.