DAWSON CREEK -- With vaccination rates going up in B.C., the province continues to reduce restrictions.
However, is there a concern with kids 12 and under being on playgrounds before they have been vaccinated?
British Columbia is currently offering vaccinations for anyone age 12 and up, while kids 12 and under are the only age group without safety clearance to get vaccinated.
Adding to that, playgrounds have no COVID-19 sanitization guidelines in place.
Medical Geographer Ken Denike explained, the concern does not come so much from kids playing on the playgrounds, it comes from how closely parents are monitoring their children.
Socal distancing is one of the number one ways to help stop the spread, as well as sanitizing their hands directly after playing.
However, Denike says since the virus is airborne and does not do well in the sun, being outside makes the virus much less contractable.
As long as kids are not going to the park while they have sypmtoms, Denike says playgrounds are relatively safe.
"Make sure they do not actually bump into other kids or have contact with other kids. But otherwise, it's safer for them than it is for us," said Denike.
The BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) says children are at low-risk of contracting COVID-19 compared to adults.
