Dear Members,
As part of this announcement, the Province, in consultation with provincial health officers, has defined essential services to British Columbians in the context of COVID-19 response and recovery. Included in that list are hotels and places of accommodation. Find the full list of essential services at the bottom of the
government news release
(under Backgrounders).
We have been working tirelessly on your behalf to ensure Government is listening and acting to ensure the very survival of our industry. I am pleased to report both the Provincial and Federal Government are listening. Essential service means that hotels have the right to close for business purposes, they also have the right to stay open to support the essential service chain, as well as potential emergency service requirements. We are working closely with the Ministries, and are engaged in support solutions, as hotels are in every community in the province. Our communities and the people in them are the foundation of our industry.
We ask that you please continue to report in your hotel closures and layoffs (send to
membership@bcha.com
). Quantifying the impact is critical to ensure we achieve the liquidity and investment solutions our industry needs.
Governments and the private sector are providing a wide-range of supports for small businesses in British Columbia affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of B.C.’s COVID-19 Action Plan, the B.C. government is providing an additional $5 billion in income supports, tax relief and funding for people, businesses and services in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. Please visit the link below for the most up-to-date information.
