In a rare Saturday press conference, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry issued a number of new provincial health orders and recommendations that further restrict businesses and residents in Surrey and White Rock.

Tailored specifically for the Fraser Health and Vancouver Coastal regions, the new orders and recommendations impact sports, workout facilities, social gatherings, workplaces and travel. There were no new orders placed on schools.

Regions outside of Fraser and Vancouver Coastal are not to be impacted by the new orders, which came into effect Saturday at 10 p.m. and are to remain until Nov. 23 at 12 p.m. However, the government has left open the possibility of an extension.

Social interactions and gatherings

Residents are no longer allowed to have a 鈥渟afe six鈥� group of friends to gather and interact with. The province is telling residents to not invite friends or family into their household. Funerals and weddings may proceed only with immediate household members.

However, Henry said people who live alone are still allowed to visit people in their social bubble.

鈥淚t鈥檚 very challenging for those who live alone,鈥� Henry said, adding that people who live alone can have a 鈥渧ery small number of people who are in your bubble鈥� over for a visit.

鈥淚t means if you do have one or two people you鈥檙e close with that you are considering your family, your bubble, your household, then stick to those people.鈥�

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Minister of Health Adrian Dix added that now is the time to reach out to friends and family members via FaceTime or by phone to support them.

It鈥檚 unclear, at this time, if the order on social gatherings applies to outdoor gatherings. Contacted Sunday, a spokesperson with the Ministry of Health said a clarification on the order is expected at some point today (Nov. 8.).

Sports and indoor physical activities

Businesses, recreation centres or other organization鈥檚 that operate indoor group physical activities are suspended.

The suspension includes spin classes, yoga, group fitness, dance classes and any other group indoor activity that increases the respiratory rate.

Indoor sports where physical distancing cannot be maintained is also suspended, including activities such as boxing, martial arts, hockey, volleyball and basketball.

Suspended group activities can be replaced with individual exercise or practice that allows participants to maintain a safe distance, according to the order.

Indoor group physical activities can only resume after the business has updated its COVID-19 safety plan and receive plan approval from a local medical health officer.

Travel for sports into and out of the region is suspended.

The new order does not apply to physical activities in schools.

Workplaces and restaurants

The new orders mandate all work places to conduct active daily in-person screening of all onsite workers using the COVID-19 symptom check list that is part of every business restart safety plan.

Workplaces must ensure that all workers and customers maintain appropriate physical distancing and wear masks when appropriate.

鈥淓xtra care should be taken in small office spaces, break rooms and kitchens,鈥� the order states.

While there isn鈥檛 an order mandating people to work from home if possible, Henry made a suggestion that businesses allow employees to work from home if able.

鈥淐onsider going back to actively supporting people working from home in certain businesses, if possible,鈥� Henry said.

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In restaurants, Henry said the restrictions in place for no more than six people at a table, no 鈥渢able hopping鈥�, wearing a mask, and keeping a safe distance remain in place.

Henry said that restaurants that have been following the rules have not had transmission events. However, she noted a concern around 鈥渟lippage of rules鈥� or customers becoming complacent, and offered a 鈥渇air warning鈥� to establishments.

鈥淲e will be cracking down on those, we know the inspectors know where the restaurants are, we鈥檝e been working with WorkSafe. We will be paying attention, particularly to restaurants, because we know it can become an environment where we have seen transmission,鈥� Henry said.

Travel

Henry recommended that people not travel into or out of the Lower Mainland and the Fraser Valley for the next two weeks, unless it鈥檚 essential travel.

鈥淩ight now we are advising, in the strongest terms, that people need to stay in their local community,鈥� Henry said. 鈥淩ight now, we have to go back to what we were doing in March, April and May where it was essential travel only.鈥�

Schools and day-cares

No new orders were placed on schools or day-cares.

鈥淪chools are one of the things we want to protect because we know how important it is for teachers, for students, for families to have schools operating,鈥� she said.

鈥淲hat happens in schools reflects what鈥檚 happening in our community, that鈥檚 why the focus has been on reducing transmission in our communities. What we have not seen is a lot of transmission events in schools. Schools are not amplifying the virus.鈥�

As of Sunday morning, Fraser Health listed 43 schools in the region where a recent COVID-19 exposure has taken place.

Henry said the order on social gatherings does not apply to in-home day-cares.

Churches

No new restrictions or orders were placed on churches or places of worship. The order on social gatherings does not apply to places of religion.

鈥淭hose are not social gatherings. The 50-person limit, with physical distancing and all of the important restrictions that have been in place around churches and other religious centres, remain in place,鈥� Henry said.

Party-buses and limousines.

The province said party-buses and group limousines must stop operating, immediately. Resuming operations is at the discretion of Henry and may be extended beyond Nov. 23 at 12 p.m.

The new orders and recommendations were made after the province experienced a significant spike in COVID-19 cases.

After weeks of reporting cases in the 100 to 200 mark, cases spiked to 589 cases on Friday and 567 new cases on Saturday.

Of the new cases reported Saturday, 411 were in Fraser Health region, and 122 cases were in the Vancouver Coastal Health region. More than 100 people are in hospital with more than 30 in critical care.