British Columbians will need to continue to mask up while accessing indoor public places for the foreseeable future.
On Friday, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry extended her order requiring face coverings in indoor settings, which was due to expire on Oct. 31.
An end date for the extension was not immediately clear.
“The requirement to wear masks in indoor public spaces is being extended during this time of higher transmission of COVID-19 in communities,” Henry said in a statement.
“This important layer of protection will help make all of us safer, along with practicing hand hygiene regularly, staying away if sick and, most importantly, getting fully vaccinated.”
Mask exemptions for people who cannot wear a mask or don or remove one without help remain in place.
People also remain allowed to temporarily remove masks in indoor public places for purposes of identification, to eat or drink in a designated location, to participate in sports of fitness or to get health services that require them to be removed.
Outside of the exemptions, mask wearing remains mandatory regardless of a person’s vaccination status.