Casinos and nightclubs poised to reopen next week as B.C. heads towards next step of restart
British Columbians are just eight days away from the date pegged for Step 3 of the province's reopening plan, when most remaining restrictions will be lifted. On Tuesday, B.C.’s top doctor, Dr. Bonnie Henry, indicated that the province looks to be on track for that to happen.
“We are progressing well,” Henry said.
“This gives us a strong foundation for our summer of hope, a summer of healing,” said Henry, noting one million British Columbians have now been fully vaccinated.
Seventy-seven per cent of adults have had their first shot, and hospitalizations and case counts are down – all metrics pointing towards Step 3, set to begin on July 1 at the earliest.
When Step 3 begins, casinos will be allowed to reopen, with limited capacity, and you'll be able to pull a one-armed bandit or play poker in View Royal’s Elements Casino, which is tentatively planning to open next week for the first time since the pandemic hit, according to Chuck Keeling with the Great Canadian Gaming Corporation, which owns the casino.
“We’ve called back close to 200 employees to get ready for July 1, after having been closed for almost 16 months, so we're really eager, really anxious, fingers crossed,” said Keeling.
Nightclubs – also shuttered since March 2020 – are also allowed to open in Step 3.
While it remains uncertain whether dancing will be allowed, and how full clubs can get, the operations manager for The Duke nightclub in Victoria says there is pent up demand, and it plans to reopen in early July.
“Two years of 19-year-olds that have never been to a club and are eager to get out there,” said manager Tanya Stone, noting she’s also heard from friends in their late 30’s who thought their clubbing days were behind them, but now have a renewed interest in going out for drinks and dancing.
In addition to nightclubs and casinos reopening, the next step in B.C.’s reopening will harken the return of Canada-wide travel. It will also give folks the green light to host as many people inside or outside their homes as they want, and there will be no limits at tables in restaurants, pubs or bars.
As well, masks won’t be mandatory, only recommended in public indoor spaces.
The province announced Tuesday afternoon that it’s extending the B.C. State of Emergency for another two weeks, through July 6. The government also noted, however, that it would cancel that state of emergency early if vaccine rates continue to rise, and hospitalizations and case counts continue to drop.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Fluid in eye cells can 'boil' if you watch the eclipse without protection: expert
Millions of people in parts of Eastern and Atlantic Canada will be able to see the rare solar eclipse happening on April 8. But they should only look up if they have proper eye protection, experts say.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Being harassed at work? What to consider when deciding what to do next
If you've been the victim of workplace harassment, it can be difficult to feel you're not alone - and even more difficult to know where to go with a complaint.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Half of Canadians support TikTok ban, with U.S. concerns 'trickling' north: poll
A new poll indicates 51 per cent of Canadians support banning the social media app TikTok, after a U.S. bill aiming to do just that passed in the House of Representatives.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
More unauthorized products for skin, sexual enhancement, recalled: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled various items this week, including torches, beef biltong and unauthorized products related to skin care and sexual enhancement.