BC to reinstate mandatory masks for indoor public spaces, including retail stores

As of this Wednesday, August 25, 2021, a new provincial health order mandates that masks must be worn in all indoor public spaces, including:

• malls and shopping centres;
• all retail stores;
• restaurants, pubs, bars and coffee shops (unless seated); 
• areas of office buildings where services to the public are provided;
• common areas of sport and fitness centres when not engaged in physical activity;
• common areas of post-secondary institutions and non-profit organizations; and
• inside schools for all staff and visitors as well as students in grades 4-12.

The order is in response to BC’s rising case counts and the spread of the Delta variant and will be reassessed as the BC requirements for proof of vaccination announced yesterday are implemented. As with BC’s previous mask requirement, children under 12 and those who cannot wear a mask or who cannot put on or remove a mask without the assistance of others are exempt.