Officials in British Columbia have decided to introduce a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination order for Canada’s Pacific province. The order says that those who want to attend social events or go to popular attractions, like casinos, will have to be vaccinated in order to do so. The vaccine mandate starts on Sept. 13.
Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry stated:
“While our vaccination rate continues to rise, we are still seeing waves of transmission primarily amongst those who are not fully vaccinated. These new measures will help reduce transmission and keep our communities safe and ensure we can continue to keep businesses open and safely enjoy much-needed social events.”
Those who want to attend social events like casinos will have to learn how to upload their vaccination records to an online portal. People will receive instructions on how to do it and, when they learn how to upload the information online, they will be able to show that information on their phone upon entry.
This mandate will affect 19 casinos and 18 bingo halls or community gaming centers.
Chuck Keeling, Great Canadian Gaming’s executive vice president for stakeholder relations and responsible gaming, said:
“We are currently working on how best to operationalize the introduction of proof of vaccination from our guests at our BC properties, beginning on Sept. 13.”
It is important to mention that, besides having vaccination records with them, people who want to enter a casino in BC will also need to wear a mask to do so.
