Nightclubs closed in B.C. after COVID spike

British Columbia's top doctor is ordering nightclubs and banquet halls to close to control the spread of COVID-19.

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says she's ordering the immediate closures after recent spikes in cases linked to them.

Henry says there have been 429 new COVID-19 cases in B.C. since Friday.

The province also recorded two additional deaths, both of them in long-term care homes.

Henry says her revised health orders also include a 10 p.m. cut-off for alcohol sales at bars and restaurants, and they must close by 11 p.m. unless they are serving food.

She says the province needs to focus on getting students back to school and people back to work, which means cutting down on social interactions.

"We now need to put our focus and attention on the important things," she told a news conference on Tuesday.

Henry says she needs to impose stricter health restrictions because COVID-19 cases were linked to clubs and halls.

"Yes, I do think these are necessary actions right now," she added. "We do it for things we think will make a difference. It became apparent that some venues were really high-risk environments."