A new series of regulations has been announced by Minister of Public Safety, Mike Farnworth to help the province during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to Farnworth, the steps being taken is to support British Columbians who are doing their part to flatten the curve of the pandemic.
The regulations that were announced Thursday (Mar 26) are effective immediately.
The new regulations are:
- Banning the secondary resale of food, medical supplies, personal protective equipment, and other essential supplies.
- Restricting quantities of items purchased at point of sale
- Enabling bylaw officers to support enforcement of the Provincial Health Officers orders for businesses and gatherings, in line with offenses with the Public Health Act
- Ensuring all passenger and car-ferry services provide minimum service levels and priority access for residents and essential goods and workers
- Making it easier to support critical services for vulnerable people like, food banks and shelters
- Suspending local states of emergency specific to the COVID-19 pandemic
Farnworth also announced the province is establishing a new supply chain co-ordination unit to coordinate goods and services distribution.
He stressed the importance of following orders from Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry.
“Dr.Henry’s orders are not suggestions or good advice they are the law and as Minister of Public Safety I will exercise my powers under the emergency program act to ensure that those laws are enforced,” he said
Last week, Farnworth declared a provincial state of emergency and said the regulations that were announced must be followed until the state of emergency is lifted.