Prince George-Valemount MLA Shirley Bond is taking the provincial government to task over a failure to provide support for businesses impacted by the provincially-imposed measures to stop the spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 over the holiday season.
Under the new restrictions, all liquor-primary bars, nightclubs and gyms, fitness centres and dance studios will be closed and all indoor gatherings in event spaces, banquet halls, hotels and restaurants will be cancelled. The measures are to stay in effect until January 18.
The Opposition B.C. Liberal MLA said an announcement of support for business was noticeably lacking when the measures were unveiled this week. She said the programs that had come to an end with the previous lifting of restrictions could easily have been dusted off and put back into play.
"It shouldn't have been that difficult," Bond said.
Up until now, Bond said businesses in northern B.C. have been the victim of a double standard that has seen them endure restrictions that had not been in place in the rest of the province.
"Long before yesterday, we were calling on the government to provide additional support to hard-hit northern businesses," Bond said. "That request fell on deaf ears, so yesterday, the government announced restrictions for the rest of the province and basically left businesses hanging, trying to figure out how they're going to hold on through the holiday season.
"What should have happened yesterday is if you're going to announce new restrictions, you announced the supports that will be available at the same time so that business owners don't have to be worried throughout the entire holiday season."
The federal government announced this week support that comes into effect retroactively and continues on into February, she noted.
"It's time for the province to do the same and they should've announced it yesterday," Bond said.
Prince George Chamber of Commerce CEO Todd Corrigall echoed many of Bond's comments, also noting the apparent double standard.
"Northern Health has already been under restriction for a very, very long time. Our restrictions last until January 31st and it seems that those for the rest of the province last until the 18th, and in the interim, no supports for businesses are announced," he said.
"It's frustrating that 20, 21 months into this, every time new restrictions are announced, the province doesn't feel it's necessary to announce equal supports for those being impacted by this."
Bond applauded legislation allowing five paid sick days a year but questioned why businesses will have to cover the cost while the pandemic remains ongoing.
"Now, more than ever, we need to make sure people don't have to make the choice between staying home or going to work while not feeling well, but the premier promised that he would not have those costs impact businesses during the pandemic and yet starting in January, businesses will be fully responsible for paying for sick days," Bond said.
"They need to rethink that and provide funding for those sick days until we get past this latest surge."
Bond also called for expediting the pace of booster shots.
"Ontario, the other day, did up to 200,000 booster shots in one day and British Columbia is nowhere near that," Bond said and noted some provinces have lessened the time limit between vaccinations.
"In northern B.C., we have some communities that have to wait for booster shot clinics for potentially two weeks and we understand health workers are tired and they have been doing incredible work, but we've been calling on the government to use community pharmacies long before now," Bond said. "They should've been onboarded and ready to go."
Bond said access to rapid tests should also be improved, calling them "another layer of protection."
"We see long, long lineups of people trying to get PCR testing," Bond said. "If people had the ability to take a rapid test, we would probably see those lines diminishing and the focus on the people who need to be tested.
"We know they're not perfect, but we are certainly seeing a much broader use of them across the country. In fact, you can go to a mall or a library in some provinces and pick up a rapid test. Not so in British Columbia."
