As B.C. heads into its first weekend with new health restrictions that allow outdoor gatherings of up to 10 people, some health experts say the fun could be short-lived.&nbsp;

Sally Otto, a University of British Columbia professor and COVID-19 modeller, says although the province's daily number of cases is holding steady, the number of cases with the U.K. variant&nbsp;has doubled weekly for the past month.&nbsp;

"Once that becomes the most dominant strain in B.C. we're going to have to constrain our activities," Otto said.&nbsp;

Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry announced the long-awaited change on Thursday.&nbsp;

Henry said the limit of 10 people was not decided based on research or epidemiological modelling, but a matter of what is considered reasonable.

Two people are pictured having a picnic near English Bay in Vancouver, British Columbia on Wednesday, January 13, 2021. 

COVID-19 DAILY

Clinical counsellor Jennifer Hollinshead says the change helps relieve&nbsp;demand for social interaction after months of no social gatherings allowed at all.

"I think a lot of people were so pent up about such strict rules that this feels like, 'OK,&nbsp;I can do something that feels good, that's safe, that's not against the rules,' " Hollinshead said.&nbsp;

B.C. banned seeing family and friends for more than four months, and transmission only went down by about a third. Daily cases are actually up 31% in the last three weeks. Deaths only went down after vaccinations. It's hard to call the strategy a great success.

Premier John Horgan&nbsp;says he's confident about Dr. Henry's decision.&nbsp;

"We still want to be vigilant," Horgan said. "But we can have a little bit more joy."

Your questions about B.C.'s new rules on social gatherings, answered

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Two friends speak to each other while physical distancing in Vancouver, British Columbia on Monday, April 6, 2020. 

COVID-19 PHYSICAL DISTANCING

Two friends speak to each other while physical distancing in Vancouver in April 2020. A physically distanced outdoor chat with a few friends is once again allowed under B.C.'s pandemic health orders.

Henry advised people should stick to the same group of people, rather than meet with several different groups.&nbsp;Kids who meet should stick to their same school cohorts, she said.&nbsp;

She said the riskiest settings are indoors and the chance of spreading the virus&nbsp;is lower&nbsp;outdoors.

Henry hinted that restrictions could lift further if case numbers decrease as&nbsp;vaccination efforts ramp up.

B.C. allows outdoor gatherings of up to 10 people but asks they stick to the same group

British Columbians can gather outside in groups of up to 10 people, effective immediately, following four months of restrictions on social gatherings. 

British Columbians can gather outside in groups of up to 10 people, effective immediately, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry announced Thursday. 

Groups of up to 10 people are now allowed to socialize outdoors in B.C., as long as members of different families keep their distance from each other. People are pictured at Sasamat Lake in Port Moody last July when COVID-19 cases were lower. 

Is it too soon to ease social gathering restrictions in B.C.? Some health experts say yes

'A little bit more joy'

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