Meeting of health officials, hospitality industry could signal new COVID-19 measures
CTV
CTV News has learned B.C. health officials are meeting with representatives from the hospitality industry Friday, which could signal the government is planning to impose new COVID-19 measures soon.
CTV News has learned B.C. health officials are meeting with representatives from the hospitality industry Friday, which could signal the government is planning to impose new COVID-19 measures soon.
The meeting will include a discussion about the spread of the Omicron variant of concern.
Similar industry meetings have previously been held hours before the province announced additional restrictions intended to combat rising case numbers.
B.C.'s COVID-19 numbers have been surging for the last week, with the 753 cases announced Thursday marking the highest single-day increase since October. The province has also seen a fast-growing number of infections involving Omicron.
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix are scheduled to provide an update on COVID-19 at 1 p.m. Friday. CTV News will be streaming the event live.
Earlier this week, Dix alluded to the possibility of new restrictions, telling reporters the government is reviewing "any changes to public health orders that will be required in the coming days to address the increase in case counts."
It's unclear what measures officials could be considering. Ontario reintroduced capacity limits on large venues this week in response to rising Omicron numbers in that province. Ontario health officials have also "strongly advised" the public to limit the size of social gatherings this holiday season, though there is currently no legally enforced cap.
