This page was updated February 24, 2021.
In response to the COVID-19 outbreak both the BC and Federal governments have passed emergency legislation. This page will collect links to those statutes and capture some basic information about their passage into law.
The BC Government has emergency powers under the Public Health Act (SBC 2008 c. 28) and the Emergency Program Act (RSBC 1996 c.111). Orders made under the Public Health Act can be made orally during the emergency. A collection of orders made under the act can be found on the Office of the Provincial Health Officer’s Current Health Topics page.
Ministerial Orders released by the Ministry of Public Safety & Solicitor General in relation to the state of emergency can be found on BCLaws beginning with order 2020_M082.
The following Ministerial Orders have been made in relation to COVID-19:
Ministerial orders (2021)
M003, M005, M010, M012, M013, M016, M017, M028, M032, M033, M051 & M062.
Ministerial orders (2020)
M082-M086, M089, M091, M093, M094, M098, M105, M114, M115, M116, M120, M121, M128, M133, M138, M139, M150, M152, M159, M161, M162, M166, M167, M168, M179, M180, M183, M192, M193, M195, M220, M248, M257, M307, M309, M314, M321, M330, M358, M376, M381, M382, M389, M405, M416, M419, M420, M425, M429, M431 M453, M456 & M480.
News updates from the Public safety and Solicitor General can be found on BC Gov News.
A listing of COVID-19 related regulations, orders in council and ministerial orders (though not exhaustive) can also be found on BC Laws.
The following acts have been passed since the emergency was declared:
| Title | Chapter number | Bill number | Royal assent date (Coming into Force) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Supply Act (No 2) 2020 | 2020 SBC 5 | Bill 15 | Mar. 23, 2020 |
| Employment Standards Amendment Act (No 2), 2020 | 2020 SBC 6 | Bill 16 | Mar. 23, 2020 |
| COVID-19 Related Measures Act | 2020 SBC 8 | Bill 19 | July 8, 2020 |
| Economic Stabilization (COVID-19) Act | 2020 SBC 19 | Bill 18 | Aug. 14, 2020 |
| Supply Act, 2020-2021 (Supplementary Estimates No. 3) | 2020 SBC 23 | Bill 2 | Dec. 17, 2020 |
The BC Courts have released several notices and announcements concerning their operations during the COVID-19 outbreak. Each court has a section on their homepage listing these notices:
- Provincial Court of BC COVID-19 Notices and Announcements: https://www.provincialcourt.bc.ca/news-reports
- Supreme Court of BC COVID-19 Notices and Announcements: https://www.bccourts.ca/supreme_court/
- Court of Appeal of BC COVID-19 Notices and Announcements: https://www.bccourts.ca/Court_of_Appeal/
Legislative Assembly COVID-19 updates, including their Safety Plan:
https://www.leg.bc.ca/Pages/COVID-19-Updates.aspx
A list of general emergency support and information from the province can be found at the following link:
The Federal Government draws its emergency powers from the Emergencies Act (RSC 1985 c. 22 (4th Supp.) and the Quarantine Act (SC 2005, c. 20)
The following acts have been passed since the emergency was declared:
- Transport Canada has released interim orders and guidance outlining temporary rules affecting transit by aviation, rail, road and marine vehicles during the state of emergency, as well as listing links to other government resources. They can be found here:
- BC Ferries - the interim order from Transport Canada affecting BC Ferries can be found here:
Municipalities have legislation which allows them to declare emergencies and take action in a crisis. On May 26, 2020 the Provincial Government suspended all municipal states of emergency, except for the city of Vancouver, citing a need to centralize a response province-wide in Ministerial Order M083
Vancouver’s emergency powers are granted in s.173 of the Vancouver Charter.