Adrian Dix did not hold back during today’s daily COVID-19 briefing.
British Columbia’s health minister addressed the recent uptick in cases and said that private parties have become a “significant source of problems” for the province.
He admitted that everyone has legal and societal rights when it comes to what they choose to do on their private property, but still urged people to think twice when hosting a gathering.
“If you’re thinking of organizing a party, especially one involving alcohol where there’s no specific limits on distancing that you’re putting in place, you should not do so,” he said.
“If you’re invited to such a party by a friend and they are not able to provide such assurances, whether or not you consider the friendship is one question, but my advice is not to go.”
The private party issue is one that health officials are taking a step back to reevaluate, says Dix, which includes building a network of social influencers to get the message across to those who may not have heard it, or need to hear it again.
On Wednesday, Premier John Horgan called upon Ryan Reynolds and Seth Rogen to lend the Government of BC a hand in doing just that.
Dix concluded his time at the podium today by saying that all BC residents will be expected to play by the rules this weekend and beyond to ensure the safety of themselves and others.
“If you have banquet halls where a private party takes place, you will be seeing environmental health officers and people in public health, and it's our expectation that the limits on the number of people at parties will be in place this weekend,” he said.
“Everywhere in BC that we can get at, we are going to ensure that that expectation is followed everywhere. And should it not be followed, inevitably, consequences must follow.”
