UPDATE 5:15 p.m.
The B.C. government has formally extended its provincial state of emergency, allowing health officials to make orders to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
The state of emergency has been extended through the end of the day on April 27, 2021. The original declaration was made on March 18, 2020.
"This is a difficult time for everyone," said Premier John Horgan. "With the vaccine program well underway we can see hope on the horizon, but higher case numbers and variants mean that we need to draw back in some places instead of opening up. I want to thank British Columbians for their hard work so far, and I'm going to ask you to keep putting your shoulders to the wheel for a while longer so we can all get through this safely and recover with the strength this province is known for."
ORIGINAL 3 p.m.
Further COVID-19 restrictions may be on the way for British Columbia, with the premier suggesting changes could come as early as Thursday.
John Horgan says travel restrictions will be discussed Wednesday by the provincial cabinet and those talks will also likely examine the status of bookings for hotels, bed and breakfasts and camping sites.
The premier says provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry will provide any update of possible new restrictions Thursday during a briefing where the province's latest COVID-19 modelling data will be presented.
On Monday, Henry said about 50 per cent of B.C.'s COVID-19 cases are variants of concern as she announced 3,289 new infections over a three-day period and 18 more deaths.
Horgan says he spoke to Alberta Premier Jason Kenney on Monday about the pandemic and their mutual concerns about travel between the provinces and the consequences that is having on case counts.
He says he is troubled by the recent COVID-19 case counts in B.C. and is looking to Thursday's release of information for a better sense of where the province stands.