Visitors to long-term care and assisted living facilities in British Columbia will have to show their vaccine card as proof of full immunization against COVID-19 starting Oct. 12, provincial health officials said Tuesday.
Visitors to acute care facilities in the province will need to show they are fully vaccinated starting Oct. 26.
“Those who are not fully vaccinated will not be able to visit in health-care settings as we go into this time of increased respiratory illness and challenges,” provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said at a Tuesday press conference.
Henry said there will be exceptions for palliative and end-of-life care.
B.C. health officials announced in August that workers in long-term care and assisted living facilities must be vaccinated by Oct. 12. All B.C. health-care workers must be vaccinated by Oct. 26.
Earlier in the day, the province announced that all public service employees must be fully immunized by Nov. 22.