19.93°C Vancouver 19.93°C VancouverSep 11, 2020 9:15 PM -
Ministry of Health in B.C. has issued a statement in regards to the closure of Banquet Halls.
The decision to close stand alone banquet halls and nightclubs was made by the Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry.
Dr. Henry made the decision to take action to address the risks of COVID-19 transmission at a number of types of venues, including also closing nightclubs and limiting late night alcohol sales in all bars, pubs and restaurants.
She made this decision because public health officials have seen exposure and transmission events happen repeatedly at standalone banquet halls, bars and nightclubs. To date, officials have not seen the same kind of challenges with other types of venues.
"It’s not for, the most part, small parties following rules in places like hotels. It’s not small clubs that have some banquet rooms... It really is to focus on the areas -the venues- where we know there have been problems… we know there has been transmission." -Dr. Bonnie Henry (Sept. 11, 2020)
Banquet venues associated with hotels are generally more controlled environments than standalone halls. They are often smaller than standalone halls, and in some cases there may be more staff because it’s a hotel or fewer or more controlled entrances through hotel lobbies etc., which may have made it easier for those kind of venues to manage capacity and follow public health guidelines.
On August 20, the B.C. Banquet Hall Association called for the Province to order them closed, saying their members were having trouble following public health guidelines due to pressure from customers, particularly with other people arriving late at night [link]. We have not heard the same kind of feedback from other types of venues.
Cases associated with standalone banquet halls and nightclubs have been difficult to contact trace due to lack of information about who attended the event and have required significant public health resources.
