BC Ferries has issued a reminder for passengers to continue avoiding all non-essential travel ahead of Victoria Day long weekend.
The province will start moving into the second phase of its reopening plan after the Victoria Day long weekend which means at least for now, only essential passengers should be using the ferries to travel to and from the islands.
While the COVID-19 transmission and death rate curves have flattened in B.C., provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry has advised that the risk of transmission is still high as there continue to be patients who have contracted the virus in recent weeks and are not linked to any known outbreaks.
See also: B.C. economy, social interactions will partly resume mid-May with new guidelines in place
These risks are exacerbated particularly in small communities that are ill equipped to handle an outbreak due to limited supplies and resources.
“These communities include Haida Gwaii, Southern Gulf Islands, Northern Gulf Islands and the Sunshine Coast. Customers should inform themselves of local situations and remain committed to essential travel only,” reads the statement from BC Ferries.
Ferry routes continue to operate at 50 per cent capacity, in keeping with Transport Canada guidelines.
BC Ferries is also limiting service on its Southern Gulf Islands — Metro Vancouver route on Sunday and holiday Monday to customers who have bookings and correctly identified passenger numbers.
All travellers are encouraged by Transport Canada to wear face coverings over their mouth and nose if they cannot maintain physical distances from other travellers while on board the ferries.
Passengers will continue to be screened for COVID-19 before boarding. Travellers will be asked four questions by ferry staff.
These questions include whether they have a fever, a cough, and/or difficulty breathing, and if they have been refused boarding in the past 14 days due to a medical reason related to the coronavirus.
Anyone who answers in the affirmative or does not provide an answer will be denied boarding.
Once B.C. reaches Phase 2 of its reopening plan after the Victoria Day long weekend, British Columbians will be able to slightly expand their social circles to include two to six people outside their immediate household.
Even in Phase 2, everyone is advised to stay close to home and only travel if essential.
