With just days left before B.C.’s COVID-19 “circuit breaker” is expected to end, health officials are pleading with the public not to travel over the May long weekend.
“Let’s get through this weekend. It’s so critically important, we can’t stress enough how important it is to follow the guidelines. Don’t look for loopholes, don’t look for ways around it. Find another way to enjoy the weekend and look forward to a fantastic summer,” Premier John Horgan said Thursday.
“Stay local, stay close to home. If you have a cottage within your health authority, that, of course, is absolutely OK by me.”
A spokesperson for BC Ferries said the company’s terminals had been “quite quiet” on the major routes and that traffic was down.
BC Ferries has only had to deny travel to someone attempting to travel for non-essential reasons “a handful” of times since the restrictions were put in place, they added.
But some coastal residents who spoke to Global News weren’t so sure. Colin Jacobsen was at the Horseshoe Bay terminal Friday, returning home to Sechelt after a medical appointment.
“The coast is filling up. Our neighbours are seasonal people, they’re up there, there’s boats up there, there’s all sorts of people coming up the coast,” he said, noting the Ontario licence plate on the vehicle in front of him.
“Most people are not acknowledging the travel restrictions. It’s not right, it’s kind of compromising the rest of us. We are generally an older community.”
The B.C. RCMP is expected to step up road checks on four major highways that link the Lower Mainland to the rest of the province to enforce the province’s ban on non-essential travel.
Police have been focusing on Highway 99 near Lillooet, Highway 1 near Boston Bar, Highway 5 near the old toll booths and Highway 3 in Manning Park.
“We will be at four locations throughout the weekend and those locations will have longer hours and more manpower to ensure that people that are coming thru are for essential reasons only,” S/Sgt. Janelle Shoihet said.
Of 336 vehicles stopped on Highway 3 Thursday, police said one was turned around. On Highway 5, two out of 732 vehicles were turned around.
One area of B.C. where there won’t be checkpoints is the Alberta border — where signage warning against non-essential travel is the only enforcement measure in place.