The Government of BC has banned the resale of food, cleaning and medical supplies, personal protective equipment and other essential items.
The government will also restrict the number of items that can be purchased in stores.
The measures announced today are part of extraordinary powers under provincial emergency BC says it will use to maintain essential goods and services during COVID-19.
Under these powers, a hotel operator or commercial lodge operator must provide accommodation services for the purposes of self-isolation, to support essential work or for any other purposes identified by the government.
The new powers will also enable municipal bylaw officers to enforce business closures and public gatherings.
Municipal councils have also been given more powers to hold flexible meetings to expedite decisions, and use facilities like community centres for self-isolation, testing, medical care, warehousing and distribution.
The local governments will also activate their emergency plans.
In consultation with the provincial health officer, any business or service that has not been ordered to close, and is also not identified on the essential service list, may stay open if it can adapt its services and workplace to the orders and recommendations of the PHO.
“In these new and challenging times we are facing, we’re asking British Columbians to stay strong as a community, and together we can get through this,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health.
BC declared a provincial state of emergency on March 18, 2020, after the provincial health officer declared a public health emergency on March 17.
The province previously declared states of emergency in 1998, 2003, 2017 and 2018 – all related to wildfires.