New restrictions

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Dear Neighbour,
I know that this is difficult this holiday season, our second in a row dealing with COVID-19 and the safety protocols around it. This year is made more difficult with the highly transmittable Omicron variant growing at a rapid pace. Now more than ever, we need to stay safe by masking, keeping our bubbles small, getting vaccinated, and isolating when showing any signs of illness.

Recently, the Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry issued new restrictions designed to help us stay safe and to work to reduce the spread of this highly contagious variant.

The public health orders that came into effect on December 23, 2021, and will remain in effect till January 18, 2022, are as follows:

  • Indoor organized gatherings of any size are not allowed. This includes gatherings like New Year’s Eve parties, wedding receptions or other celebrations.
  • Indoor events at venues can only have 50% capacity. This includes events like concerts, sports or movies
  • Bars and nightclubs are closed
  • Restaurants, cafes and pubs can have a maximum of 6 people at each table and must have physical distancing or barriers between tables
  • Indoor adult exercise, fitness and dance activities are not permitted.

And the restrictions that came into effect on December 20, 2021, and remain in effect till January 31, 2022, are as follows:

  • Indoor personal gatherings are limited to your household plus 10 visitors or 1 other household. Everyone 12 + must be fully vaccinated
  • At restaurants, cafes and pubs, customers must stay seated and cannot move between or visit other tables. Masks are required when not seated
  • All sports tournaments are not allowed, except for high performance athletes

All of these orders are designed to help all of us stay as safe as possible from COVID-19. And remember, vaccinations are an important defense against COVID-19, so if you have not been vaccinated yet, please do so, and when you are eligible to get a booster, please book your appointment for one. Masks, physically distancing, keeping your bubbles small, staying home and isolating when feeling unwell, increasing ventilation, and getting vaccinated are all ways to help us control the spread of COVID-19, and keep you and your loved ones safe.

COVID-19 Drop-in clinic vaccination clinic

Drop-ins continue to be welcome at all Vancouver Coastal Health clinics on a first-come, first-served basis, depending on your eligibility and vaccine availability. People 12 and older are eligible to be vaccinated, and you are eligible for a second dose at 28 days after your first dose. Drop-ins will not be accepted for children ages 5 to 11.

The closest clinic is at:
ICBC Claim Centre
255 Lloyd Ave., North Vancouver,

Open December 29 and 30, 2021, and January 4 to 23, 2022 from 9 AM till 7 PM.

Open December 31, 2021, from 9 AM till 3:45 PM.

For more information and updates on COVID-19 vaccine clinics locations and times, click here. 

 


And please understand that the testing sites are at capacity and we need to make sure that there is testing available for health care workers and people with severe illness.

  • If you have no symptoms, you do not need to be tested.
  • If you feel sick, and your symptoms are mild, please stay home and isolate for 7 to ten days.
  • If you feel sick and have risk factors such as diabetes, asthma, or a heart condition, please go to bc.thrive.health and use the self-assessment tool.

If you need more information, contact 811 to speak to a registered nurse.

 


Our Government has announced grants for businesses that have been impacted by these closures. Grants of $1,000 to $10,000 will be available to businesses that have fully closed as a result of the December 22, 2021 Provincial Health Officer orders.

The grant can be used to cover expenses like rent, insurance, employee wages, maintenance and utilities. I realise that these closures are difficult for businesses and the public alike, but we will get through it, and our government is here to help.

Additional information regarding these grants are available here.


This year has been difficult, not just because of the pandemic, but the floods, the fires, the heat wave has challenged all of us in so many ways. The holiday season can be especially trying for many of us. If you feel you or anyone you know may need some additional support during this time, please reach out to one of the many services that are there to lend support. There is a list of services available to help here. 

Again, I wish you the best this holiday season. Please stay safe. We will get through this.

Take care and stay safe,
Susie

Our office will be on reduced hours during the next few weeks. Our holiday hours are:
Thursday, December 23, 2021, from 9 AM till 5 PM
Friday, December 24, 2021, from 10 AM till 2 PM

Closed Monday to Wednesday, December 27, 28, and 29, 2021
Open Thursday, December 30, 2021, from 10 AM till 2 PM, and
Friday, December 31, 2021, from 10 AM till 2 PM

We are open Monday, January 3, 2022, from 10 AM till 5 PM
Open Tuesday, January 4, 2022, from 9 AM till 5 PM
Closed Wednesday, January 5, 2022, for training.

From then on, we will open our regular hours, which are 10 till 5 PM on Monday and Friday, and from 9 AM till 5 PM Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

The office is closed for lunch from noon till 1 PM.