BC Restart Plan Reopens Indoor Dining; Regional Travel Expected June 15th

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Written by Mark Hicken Mark Hicken

Category: Latest News Latest News

Published: 25 May 2021 25 May 2021

The Okanagan wine industry is likely relieved after seeing today's announced "BC Restart Plan". A phased reopening over the next few months will likely have the province back to normal by the fall ... and will provide significant help to the wine and hospitality industries earlier than that. The gradual reduction of restrictions is summarized clearly in this BC Restart Plan Chart (downloadable from this site). The government news release is here as well as a link to the entire media presentation: BC Media Presentation on Restart Plan.

The new Public Health Order (dated May 24, 2021) is here: Food & Liquor Serving Premises Order. Related guidance for the industry is located here: Province-Wide Restrictions. I note that at the time of writing this the earlier Gatherings & Events Order (dated May 7, 2021) had not been properly updated to reflect the updated restrictions indicated by government below.

In summary, the major changes that affect the industry are:

• Today: indoor dining is permitted with the same rules that were in effect prior to the 'circuit breaker closure'. In other words, physical distancing requirements and a maximum of 6 people to a table. Note: the recommendation that the 6 should be from the same household has been removed. Travel is still restricted but now permitted within your health region (so travel from the Lower Mainland to the Okanagan is still NOT permitted). Organized gatherings are now permitted with up to 10 people indoors and up to 50 people outdoors. 
• June 15th (earliest expected date): Liquor service is expected to be extended until midnight. Organized gatherings are expected to be expanded to allow up to 50 people indoors. Travel between health regions is expected to be permitted (i.e. travel from the Lower Mainland to the Okanagan will be allowed).
• July 1st (earliest expected date): Indoor dining group limits are expected to be removed. Organized gathering limits are expected to be expanded even further and to permit "fairs and festivals". Canada-wide travel is expected.
• September 7th (earliest expected date): Expectation is a return to 'normality' or something close to that. 

Does Air Quality Science Provide a Way Forward on Covid Restrictions?

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Written by Mark Hicken Mark Hicken

Category: Latest News Latest News

Published: 27 April 2021 27 April 2021

A couple of recent articles (one mainstream media, one academic) provide interesting perspectives on recent Covid-Related Public Health Orders as well as providing a potential way forward for the hospitality and liquor sectors in terms of limiting Covid transmission during reopening. The first article is from the Washington Post. It describes how a California restaurant is using the latest scientific research on Covid transmission to create a safe dining environment by implementing ventilation and air quality technologies (How One Restaurant's Experiment May Help Diners Breathe Safely - also reprinted here at the SFGate site). The second is an academic study on Covid transmission from MIT (Covid19 Indoor Safety Guidelines - which includes an academic paper, supporting info, and even a web-based app to calculate risk) in which researchers provide fascinating models of Covid transmission risk - again based on ventilation and air quality. 

The articles are 'related' in that they are both premised on the ability of Covid19 to travel via aerosol particles in the air, which makes the virus more easily transmissible. Both also conclude that ventilation, good air quality and mask use are the best ways to restrict transmission risk ... and to make it safe for people to gather again in appropriately ventilated spaces. 

The methodology in the articles provides some interesting context for the current Public Health Orders affecting the liquor industry and hospitality sectors in BC (and other places). For example, if this reasoning is correct, then:

• Restrictions that make a distinction between indoor and outdoor gatherings would appear to have a scientific basis, except for the fact that they may be over-reaching or under-reaching depending upon how well ventilated the particular space is.
• Restrictions that make a distinction based upon the time that someone spends within a space would also appear to have some basis, since shorter times would lead to less exposure. 
• For example, in BC, our current Public Health Orders prohibit all indoor dining and permit patio dining. While basically sound, this would seem to be an overly simplistic approach since some "indoor" spaces are probably as well ventilated, or almost as well ventilated, as outdoor spaces. For example, in the Okanagan, I can immediately think of two restaurants whose "indoor" spaces are extremely well ventilated: anyone who has eaten at the Hooded Merganser in Penticton will know that when the patio doors are open, it is breezy, if not windy, given the restaurant's proximity to (above) the lake. Similarly, the Miradoro restaurant at Tinhorn Creek is perched high above the valley and when the patio doors are open, it is extremely well ventilated. There are similar examples in Vancouver (e.g. Ancora at False Creek) and, no doubt, elsewhere in the province. Indeed, in many places, the ventilation for a guest sitting 'indoors' next to an open window is probably as good as if the guest was sitting 'outdoors'.
• A new BC "Guideline for Outdoor Dining" document creates a complicated set of rules for qualifying spaces ... which partly reflect the above principles, but which are not precisely focused on ventilation and which could still exclude well ventilated outdoor or indoor spaces (including spaces that were previously ok). I note that the most recent PHO Order on Liquor Serving Premises includes some of these new guidelines. By contrast, I note that new rules for 'open air' dining in WA state are specifically focused on air quality level measurements so they 'follow the science' more closely. 
• BC's current restrictions on wine tasting pose similar issues. Under the current rules, it is permissible for customers to taste inside if they are standing, but not if they are sitting. They can taste outside either standing or sitting. Given the reasoning above, there may be some justification for the distinction because tasting outside is relatively safe and those customers who are standing inside might spend less time within an indoor space than those who are sitting ... but again the restrictions are probably overly simplistic ... because with indoor spaces, it is the time spent indoors that matters along with the ventilation. The virus does not care whether the customer is sitting or standing.
• Another relevant factor, which is not mentioned in the articles, is whether or not customers and staff have been vaccinated. This would also obviously affect safety and risks (i.e. indoor seating is for those who have been vaccinated??).

In respect of the above, and more broadly in respect of 'following the science', perhaps the Public Health Orders should be drafted so as to target ventilation and/or time indoors more precisely, rather than relying on categorizations such as 'indoors/outdoors'. The 'science' now seems to point to ventilation and time as the key factors ... if this is correct, then a more focused order might be framed such that outdoor dining or tasting is permissible ... and that indoor dining or tasting can also be permissible if time limits are imposed on customers for remaining inside or if that particular space can be demonstrated to have good air quality and ventilation characteristics. According to these articles, such characteristics are not that difficult to measure ... and relatively simple steps such as mandating that doors and windows are kept open could make a significant difference as to whether or not a space is 'safe'.

Regardless of the above, and for the near future at least, these are very interesting scientific studies. If nothing else, and if only to protect both customers and staff, it would seem wise for all hospitality and liquor businesses to maximize ventilation ... keep the doors and windows open whenever possible!

Federal Budget Allocates $101M for Canadian Winery Support

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Written by Mark Hicken Mark Hicken

Category: Latest News Latest News

Published: 19 April 2021 19 April 2021

Today's Federal Budget included a spending announcement directed at Canadian wineries. Page 217 of the Budget Document indicates that the federal government proposes to provide $101 million over two years starting in 2022 to "implement a program for the wine sector that will support wineries in adapting to ongoing and emerging challenges, in line with Canada's trade obligations". The program will be run by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Details of the program were not provided ... but it appears likely that this program may be designed to  address the concerns of the Canadian wine industry surrounding the loss of the federal excise tax exemption, which is scheduled to occur in June 2022.

BC Hospitality Sector Severely Restricted by New Health Orders

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Written by Mark Hicken Mark Hicken

Category: Latest News Latest News

Published: 30 March 2021 30 March 2021

New Public Health Orders were issued yesterday which place severe restrictions on the business operations of the hospitality sector including wineries and liquor manufacturers. The new Orders were made verbally at a press conference by the Provincial Health Officer. They have now been published in a written Order located here (Food & Liquor Serving Premises Order) and are summarized here: Province-Wide Restrictions. The new Order is effective until April 19th (or perhaps longer, if it is extended). The major effects of the Order are as follows:

• Restaurants and Bars can no longer permit inside dining. Operations are restricted to outdoor (patio) dining or take-out. For many businesses, this will dramatically reduce their operations or cause them to shut down.
• Manufacturer tasting rooms may continue to operate but customers cannot be seated indoors. They may taste indoors if standing (there is an exception for those unable to stand). Customers may be seated for tasting if they are doing so outdoors. 
• There can be no interaction between groups of patrons. There are various distancing rules and safety protocols set out in the Order.
• Winery (and other manufacturer) retail stores may continue to operate. 
• The restrictions apply to the entire province, including areas where there is a lower incidence of Covid.

As a result, the latest versions of the most applicable Public Health Orders for the hospitality and winery sector are as follows: 

• Food and Liquor Serving Premises Order issued on March 31, 2021. Applies to the hospitality sector including wineries and liquor manufacturers.
• Gathering and Events Order issued on March 24, 2021. Applies to many situations and sectors. Parts of it will affect winery and manufacturer operations.
• Workplace Safety issued on December 16, 2020. Applies to all workplaces including wineries and manufacturers.