Vancouverites will have to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day at home this year.
On Tuesday morning, Vancouver Coastal Health chief medical officer Dr. Patricia Daly, expanded the March 17 closure of bars, restaurants, lounges and similar venues to the entire city in an effort to contain the spread of COVID-19.
The order, issued Monday, initially only covered venues in the city’s downtown core.
“Given that the Government of British Columbia has now limited the size of public gatherings to 50 persons, it is only prudent that we require restaurant and bar operators to cooperate with efforts to reduce the spread of COVID-19,” Daly said in a press release.
“We understand this is may pose a financial hardship for operators, but the seriousness of the health care challenge that COVID-19 presents to our community cannot be underestimated.”
The move came Monday after Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart said his office began to receive reports from various sources about large gatherings planned for downtown to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. So the mayor said he spoke to Health Minister Adrian Dix about his concerns, which were relayed to Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Daly.
“I want to thank our public health officials for moving quickly and helping to keep people safe and especially express my gratitude to Dr. Patricia Daly and her team for their tireless work on behalf of all Vancouver residents,” the mayor said in a statement Tuesday.
“I know that this may seem like drastic action, and I know that this will mean severe financial hardship for many small businesses and their staffs, but the health of our population must be our primary concern.”
Stewart added that all establishments are expected to comply with the provincial order to limit public gatherings to no more than 50 people.
"All bars and restaurants must ensure no more than 50 people will be in their establishments at any given time, including staff."
– With files from Mike Howell
