British Columbia Minister of Health Adrian Dix says the province is considering following a move made by Ontario and reintroducing capacity limits for indoor events like Vancouver Canucks and Western Hockey League games during the current COVID-19 surge.
When asked at a press conference Wednesday if B.C. could impose similar rules to what Ontario rolled out earlier in the day, Dix said “Dr. (Bonnie) Henry (the Provincial Health Officer) and regional medical officers of health are meeting actively on all these points … Those issues are all under active consideration by public health and we’ll have more to say on that soon.”
Ontario became the first jurisdiction with NHL or NBA teams to introduce capacity limits this season on Wednesday when it announced indoor venues with more than 1,000 people can have only 50 per cent capacity.
As a result, the Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Raptors, Ottawa Senators and 17 Ontario Hockey League teams will be affected starting Saturday.
Before Ontario’s announcement, Canada’s deputy chief public health officer said rules allowing full capacity for indoor pro sports need to be examined.
Before the announcement, Canada’s deputy chief public health officer said rules allowing full capacity for indoor pro sports need to be examined.
“At the present time, let’s say sports arenas, hockey arenas still at full capacity, that’s something that I think needs to be looked out,” Dr. Howard Njoo said.
Provinces — not the federal government — are responsible for making capacity rules.
Capacity slowly went up in provinces across the country over the summer and fall, but rising case counts and the emergence of the Omicron variant have put the issue back in the spotlight.
Canadian NHL teams had no fans in arenas last year in the regular season and played solely in Canada to avoid border restrictions. Limited crowds were allowed in some Canadian venues in the playoffs.
Editor’s Note: The COVID-19 situation, in the NHL and around the world, is constantly evolving. Readers in Canada can consult the country’s public health website for the latest. For readers in B.C., province-specific resources are available here.
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