BC easing long-term care visitation rules on April 1

People in long-term care and their loved ones will have more ways to safely spend time together, with long-term care visitation rules easing on April 1, 2021.

“This pandemic has taken an incredible toll on people in long-term care and on their loved ones,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health. “We are grateful for the sacrifices people living and working in long-term care and their families have made to keep one another safe. With vaccines bringing an important layer of protection for everyone in our province, it is a safe time to ease visitor restrictions and support safe social connections for people in long-term care.”

Beginning April 1, all residents in long-term care and assisted living will be able to have frequent, routine opportunities for social visitation. Eased restrictions include:

* removing the requirement for a single designated social visitor to allow for additional family and friends to visit long-term care and assisted living residents;

* expanding the number of visitors so up to two visitors, plus a child, will be allowed to visit at a time, allowing people to connect in small groups;

* changing the allowable location of visits so family and friends can visit in residents’ rooms without staff present; and

* allowing physical touch between visitors and residents, provided appropriate infection prevention and control measures, like masks and hand hygiene, are in place.

Social visitation will continue to be suspended during outbreaks and will continue to require advanced booking, visitor health screening, use of medical masks and frequent hand hygiene.