COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions

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City Services

• Am I required to wear a mask in City facilities?

  • By order and direction of the Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, face masks are now required for everyone in all public indoor settings and masks must be worn in a manner that covers the nose and mouth. This order includes all indoor City of Burnaby facilities including City Hall, recreation centres, cultural facilities and libraries. Masks are not required to be worn indoors while participating in a sport or fitness activity at City recreation facilities.

    The following are exempt from wearing masks:

    »	People with health conditions or with physical, cognitive or mental impairments who cannot wear one
    »	People who cannot remove a mask on their own
    »	Children under the age of 12

• Is City Hall open to the public?

  • Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in-person visits to City Hall are suspended until further notice. We ask that members of our community consider the following alternatives:

    »	Do the business online
    »	Do the business by phone

• How do I report a concern about a social gathering?

  • By order and direction of the Provincial Health Officer (PHO), up to 10 people may gather outdoors. All restrictions for indoor gatherings remain in place. For example:

    »	Up to 10 people may gather at a park or beach
    »	Up to 10 people may gather in the backyard of a residence
    »	No gatherings of any size are allowed indoors

    
    

    Do not gather with several groups of new people – stick to the same people. Continue to use COVID-19 layers of protection and maintain physical distancing.

    To report non-emergency contraventions of the social gathering order, please contact the COVID call centre at 604-294-7878 or email COVID19@burnaby.ca. Your concern will be sent to our bylaw department to review and to follow up with the individual or business in question.

    Please note local bylaw officers can follow-up on concerns and engage police departments and WorkSafe BC as necessary. The goal is to first educate and gain voluntary compliance. Individuals who do not comply will be issued fines. Fines are issued in-person by the RCMP.

• Is the City of Burnaby still enforcing parking regulations?

  • We continue to enforce parking regulations to ensure public safety on city streets is not compromised. However, we are not enforcing parking time restrictions surrounding the hospital during the COVID crisis.

• What are considered essential services and stores?

  • Emergency Management BC, in consultation with other government ministries and the Provincial Health Officer (PHO), have identified essential services during the COVID-19 pandemic. View list of essential services »

• Is the City of Burnaby offering any free online classes or activities?

  • City of Burnaby programmers and instructors have created some at-home resources to help guide you. Visit www.burnaby.ca/onlineactivities to stay active, creative and curious while staying at home.

Parks and Outdoor Spaces

• Can I have a picnic or barbecue in city parks?

  • Picnics are allowed. Picnic sites are not available to book in advance so sites are on a first come basis with single table, single family use only. Propane barbeques are allowed in all parks. Charcoal and open flame barbeques are allowed only at Deer Lake, Fraser Foreshore, Central Park, Robert Burnaby, Confederation and Barnet Marine Park as these locations have ash pits on-site for the safe disposal of hot ashes. Campfires are not allowed in any of our parks.

    At this time, up to 10 people may gather outdoors. All restrictions for indoor gatherings remain in place. For example:

    »	Up to 10 people may gather at a park or beach
    »	Up to 10 people may gather in the backyard of a residence
    »	No gatherings of any size are allowed indoors

    
    

    Do not gather with several groups of new people – stick to the same people. Continue to use COVID-19 layers of protection and maintain physical distancing.

    The province of BC has adopted and implemented a graduated compliance and enforcement approach that starts with providing information, education and advice. Through new measures introduced under the Emergency Program Act, police are also empowered to issue violation tickets for people who contravene the provincial health order on gatherings.

• Can my friends and I gather at the park if we are physically distancing?

  • At this time, up to 10 people may gather outdoors. All restrictions for indoor gatherings remain in place. For example:

    »	Up to 10 people may gather at a park or beach
    »	Up to 10 people may gather in the backyard of a residence
    »	No gatherings of any size are allowed indoors

    
    

    Do not gather with several groups of new people – stick to the same people. Continue to use COVID-19 layers of protection and maintain physical distancing.

    The province of BC has adopted and implemented a graduated compliance and enforcement approach that starts with providing information, education and advice. Through new measures introduced under the Emergency Program Act, police are also empowered to issue violation tickets for people who contravene the provincial health order on gatherings.

• What are the rules for playing on an outdoor tennis and pickleball court?

  • To keep our tennis and pickleball courts safe, the City of Burnaby has implemented these protocols and guidelines which are on signage posted at our courts:

    »	Casual play only. Single and double play are permitted. Doubles play is allowed as long as the participants maintain a distance of three metres from one another while playing, unless the participants reside in the same household. No allotments, no lessons and no league play.
    »	Players to queue outside the courts, maintain at least 3 metres from one another, and have no physical contact. Players go around opposite sides of the net at changeovers.
    »	Players use separate sets of balls (and mark them clearly prior to play). Players should not share equipment (racquets, towels, water bottles, etc.)
    »	Other posted City of Burnaby sport court rules still apply

    
    

    Failure to follow rules may result in facilities being closed. Staff will intermittently monitor these outdoor facilities to ensure people are not gathering in large groups. It is everyone’s responsibility to do their part and practice physical distancing.

    Please be courteous to other users and limit your time using these facilities when they are busy.

• How often are you cleaning playgrounds?

  • Although we clean our equipment, parks equipment cannot be sanitized regularly, so we encourage all visitors to wash or sanitize their hands before and after playground use. We also remind visitors to follow the protocols and guidelines on signage posted at these facilities. Maintaining physical distance and staying home when ill will help protect our community and keep our playgrounds safe.

Business

• I am concerned about the health and safety practices in a business. Where can I report this?

  • Businesses must ensure that they are in compliance with orders from the provincial health officer and they are required to develop a COVID-19 Safety Plan that outlines the policies, guidelines, and procedures they have put in place to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission.

    If you are concerned about the health and safety practices in a business that is a restaurant or food service location, or that provides a personal service such as hair salons, spas and tattoos, please contact Fraser Health at 604-587-3936 or email HPBurnaby@fraserhealth.ca.

    For all other businesses, please email COVID19@burnaby.ca and we will we will forward your concern to the appropriate department for review and action.

    We also encourage you to speak to the store manager or contact the store’s head office to voice your concern.

    If you are an employee of any type of business and you don’t feel safe in your workplace, please contact WorkSafeBC’s Prevention Information Line at 604-276-3100 in the Lower Mainland (toll-free within B.C. at 1-888-621-SAFE). You’ll be able to speak to a prevention officer to get answers to your questions, and if required, a prevention officer will be assigned to assess the health and safety risk at your workplace.

• Are employees required to wear masks in businesses?

  • As announced by the Provincial Health Officer on November 19, 2020, masks are required for everyone in all public indoor settings and workplaces.

    The following are exempt from wearing masks:

    »	People with health conditions or with physical, cognitive or mental impairments who cannot wear one
    »	People who cannot remove a mask on their own

• Am I required to wear a mask while working out at a private gym?

  • Please note as outlined in the mask mandate order: As per section 4 (g), a mask is not required while participating in a sport or fitness activity at a sport or fitness facility. So a mask is not required while working out but a mask is required to be worn when NOT working out.

Other Topics

• When will I get the COVID-19 vaccine and where can I get it in Burnaby?

  • The BC Ministry of Health has developed BC’s COVID-19 Immunization Plan and it will happen in four phases, December 2020 through September 2021. Eligibility by age is based on the age you are turning in 2021.

    Immunization clinics in Burnaby are overseen by our local health authority, Fraser Health. Immunization bookings are managed by the Province of BC.

    There are three steps to get vaccinated. Register when it’s your turn, book an appointment and get the vaccine.

    People should only register when they are eligible. To register online, or find out when you are eligible, visit Get Vaccinated.

• What do I do if I have symptoms of COVID-19?

  • If you have symptoms of COVID-19, please use the BC COVID-19 self-assessment tool to see if you need to be tested for COVID-19. If you need to get tested, you can book an appointment at the Burnaby COVID-19 testing site. Burnaby Primary Care Network has a testing site at Central Park, open daily from 12-6pm (12-6pm for vehicle appointments; 3-5pm for pedestrian appointments). The location is the parking lot for Central Park Pool, located on Boundary Rd at 46th Avenue. This is a testing site for those with COVID-19 symptoms, those who have a physician’s referral, or those sent by Public Health. This testing site does not provide COVID-19 testing for travel purposes.

    Please note if you are asymptomatic (showing no symptoms) you will not be able to get tested without a referral.

    Visit burnabycoronavirus.com for more information and to book your appointment. Those who do not have access to internet can call 604-527-4856 and request a call back in English or another language.

    If you feel unwell and are unsure about your symptoms, contact your health care provider or call 8-1-1.

• Can I defer or skip rent this month?

  • We understand these are challenging times, and many Burnaby residents may have concerns about covering their expenses, including rent. If you are in need of financial relief, we encourage you to speak directly with your landlord to see if alternate payment arrangements can be made. 

• I heard Burnaby has a COVID testing site. Can I go get tested?

  • Burnaby Primary Care Network has a satellite testing site at Central Park, open daily from 12-6pm (12-6pm for vehicle appointments; 3-5pm for pedestrian appointments). The location is the parking lot for Central Park Pool, located on Boundary Rd at 46th Avenue). This is a testing site for those with COVID-19 symptoms, those who have a physician’s referral, or those sent by Public Health. Please note if you are asymptomatic (showing no symptoms) you will not be able to get tested without a referral. If you have any concerns, please contact your physician or call Fraser Health at 811.

    Visit burnabycoronavirus.com for more information and to book your appointment. Those who do not have access to internet can call 604-527-4856 and request a call back in English or another language.

• How many COVID-19 cases are there in Burnaby?

  • You can view the number of COVID-19 cases by city on www.bccdc.ca/covid19data. Please scroll down and view the detailed map showing cases by local health area. The map is updated every Wednesday and is for the most recent 7-day period (Sunday to Saturday).

• Can I have a gathering if it is fewer than 50 people?

  • At this time, up to 10 people may gather outdoors. All restrictions for indoor gatherings remain in place. For example:

    »	Up to 10 people may gather at a park or beach
    »	Up to 10 people may gather in the backyard of a residence
    »	No gatherings of any size are allowed indoors

    
    

    Do not gather with several groups of new people – stick to the same people. Continue to use COVID-19 layers of protection and maintain physical distancing.

• I know of someone who is in violation of the Quarantine Act and is not self-isolating. How can I report this?

  • As of March 25, 2020 it is mandatory under the Quarantine Act that anyone arriving in British Columbia from outside of Canada self-isolate and monitor for symptoms for 14 days upon their arrival and complete/register a self-isolation plan and complete the federal ArriveCAN application.

    There are some individuals who are exempt from this order to provide essential services, but they still need to self-monitor for symptoms.

    The Quarantine Act is enforced by the RCMP. If you suspect that someone is in violation of the Quarantine Act, please contact the Burnaby RCMP non-emergency line at (604) 646-9999.

Additional Questions?

For questions about City services, programs and facilities that weren't answered above, please contact our call centre at 604-294-7878, 9am-4pm, Monday-Friday (closed statutory holidays), or send an email to covid19@burnaby.ca. 

Resources

• Health
  • Burnaby Primary Care Networks: Self Assessment Tool for Burnaby Residents
  • Burnaby Primary Care Networks: Social Supports
  • BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC)
  • Fraser Health Authority
  • Fraser Health Authority - Contact Tracing
  • Health Canada
  • World Health Organization
  • BC Ministry of Health
  • COVID-19 BC Support App and Self-Assessment Tool
• Business
  • Burnaby Board of Trade: COVID-19 Updates and Resources 
  • Burnaby Board of Trade Business Resilience Service Hotline 
  • Burnaby Board of Trade: Business Recovery Task Force Survey
• Housing
  • Burnaby Rent Bank
  • BC Housing Rental Assistance Program
  • BC Hydro Customer Crisis Fund 
  • CMHC: COVID-19 Understanding Mortgage Payment Deferral 
• Other
  • Community Resource Guide
  • TransLink: Transit Service Changes
  • Government Financial Relief Resources